Devendra Fadnavis meets PM Modi in Delhi amid suspense over Maharashtra cabinet expansion

Pic/X@Dev_Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi amid suspense over Maharashtra cabinet expansion.

"Extremely thankful to Hon PM Narendra Modi ji for your valuable time, guidance, blessings and standing firm behind Maharashtra. In last 10 years, with your support Maharashtra is Number 1 in almost every sector and now aims to take this journey of VIKAS to the next level under your leadership and guidance. You have always been an inspiration to crores of BJP Karyakarta like us to work even harder," Fadnavis said in a post on X.

Fadnavis travelled to Delhi on Wednesday for a series of crucial meetings, marking his first visit since taking office as Chief Minister.

He met prominent leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. These meetings are viewed as a courtesy and are part of the ongoing coalition discussions involving the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The Maharashtra cabinet expansion has been delayed due to the involvement of three parties (Mahayuti allies BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP).

The BJP is projected to retain around 21 to 22 ministerial positions, including that of the Chief Minister while leaving four to five positions vacant for future appointments.

The Maharashtra cabinet can accommodate a total of 43 ministers, including the Chief Minister.

Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took their oaths on December 5 after their coalition, known as Mahayuti, achieved a significant victory in the state assembly elections, securing 230 out of 288 seats.

Soon after taking oath as the chief minister, Fadnavis took his first step in office by approving monetary assistance of Rs 5 lakh for a bone marrow transplant patient.

According to the CMO, assistance from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund was sanctioned for Chandrkant Shankar Kurhade, a resident of Pune.

The newly sworn-in CM also directed the administration to expedite work processes and operate with increased vigour. He emphasised the need to work faster to meet public expectations.

The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.