Mumbai: Maharshtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today inducted 11 new faces including Two Shiv Sena MLAs, putting to rest the speculation whether the Uddhav Thackeray-led party would be part of the exercise in the wake of growing strain between the two ruling partners.
Unlike in the Union Cabinet reshuffle, where Shiv Sena was ignored, Fadnavis inducted two legislators from the bickering ally as Ministers of State. The BJP, however, did not oblige the demand for a Cabinet berth from Sena whose chief Uddhav Thackeray was conspicuous by his absence at the swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhawan here this morning.
Five BJP legislators also took oath as ministers. Uncertainty over whether Shiv Sena would be part of the cabinet expansion loomed large throughout the day as there was speculation that Sena will not become part of the exercise, as it was not given a berth during the recent Union Cabinet expansion.
Shiv Sena MLAs Gulabrao Patil and Arjun Khotkar were inducted as Maharashtra's Council of Ministers.
Several rounds of meetings had been held at 'Matoshri' and 'Varsha', the residences of Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis respectively, to discuss about the party's stand over the cabinet expansion.
At the meeting of party legislators held at 'Matoshri', Uddhav Thackeray had finally decided to be part of today's cabinet expansion.
The 20-month-old Fadnavis government filled up portfolios rendered vacant after the resignation of senior minister Eknath Khadse over corruption charges last month.
The 10 portfolios handled by him were temporarily with Mr Fadnavis.
PTI inputs
