Mumbai: Deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule met the party’s central leaders, including national president JP Nadda and union home minister Amit Shah, on Monday evening and discussed the impending cabinet expansion and council elections in the state.
Though the BJP central leadership has given its nod for the cabinet expansion, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is expected to put the task on hold as it apprehends that some MLAs from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party will jump ship after the end of the budget session in July.
“The cabinet expansion is imperative as 15 berths are vacant and ministerial aspirants to be pacified. But the party leadership has asked state leaders to gauge the possibility of Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLAs going back to the faction led by Sharad Pawar before going ahead with the expansion,” said BJP leader from the state. Chief minister Eknath Shinde had met Shah in Delhi on Sunday to discuss the cabinet expansion plan.
According to the BJP’s state leaders, Fadnavis and Bawankule handed over to the central leadership a list of names shortlisted by the state core committee for the legislative council elections. “The state unit had received over 35 applications from aspirants within the party. The core committee shortlisted 10 names among them and gave these to the central leadership,” said the BJP leader quoted earlier.
{{/usCountry}}According to the BJP’s state leaders, Fadnavis and Bawankule handed over to the central leadership a list of names shortlisted by the state core committee for the legislative council elections. “The state unit had received over 35 applications from aspirants within the party. The core committee shortlisted 10 names among them and gave these to the central leadership,” said the BJP leader quoted earlier.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP is expected to nominate five members to the legislative council based on its strength in the legislative assembly. Of the 11 seats that are going to the polls on July 12, Mahayuti could win nine, while the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance is likely to bag two seats. The last day of filing nominations for the election is June 2.
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