Cabinet expansion to take place before monsoon session: Shambhuraj Desai

Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai said the much awaited cabinet expansion will take place before the state legislature's monsoon session or even before that. The monsoon session's schedule has not yet been announced.

Desai also said that seat-sharing between the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha polls due next year has not been finalised. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, the Shiv Sena (then undivided) contested 23 seats and won 18. Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state cabinet will be expanded soon and the timeline will be decided by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. 

Desai said, The chief minister and deputy chief minister have said the cabinet will be expanded soon. As a colleague of CM Eknath Shinde, we feel cabinet expansion will take place before the monsoon session or even before that. Notably, CM Shinde on Monday said the Shiv Sena and the BJP will contest all future elections together, including the Lok Sabha, Assembly and civic polls.