'Due to corruption...': Maharashtra Cong chief takes swipe at CM Eknath Shinde

The Shinde government's cabinet expansion took place on August 9. At present, the state council of ministers has 18 cabinet ministers including the CM. There are nine ministers each from the Shinde faction of Sena and the ally Bharatiya Janata Party.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Sunday launched an all out attack on the Eknath Shinde government, alleging the new regime came into power due to corruption and out of fear.

The Congress leader also claimed the state cabinet expansion was not taking place because the coalition fears collapse, PTI reported. Addressing a press conference, Patole hit out at CM Shinde, accusing him of blaming the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government all the time. He pointed out that one cabinet minister is in charge of six departments in the present Maharashtra government.

On June 29, the Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed after the rebellion by 40 Shiv Sena MLAs led by Shinde. A day later, Shinde took oath as the new chief minister of Maharashtra with former CM Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as his deputy.

The Shinde government's cabinet expansion took place on August 9. At present, the state council of ministers has 18 cabinet ministers including the CM. There are nine ministers each from the Shinde faction of Sena and the ally Bharatiya Janata Party.

In a separate development, Uddhav Thackeray-faction MP Sanjay Raut has claimed that some Sena MLAs who had joined Shinde will return back to the party fold. “Some of them will certainly come back. I am confident that some will return,” PTI quoted Raut, who spoke to a Marathi channel two days after his release on bail in a money laundering case.