Shinde, Fadnavis in Delhi on two day trip; cabinet expansion on top of agenda

Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit

Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit. Both are expected to meet top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to finalise a power-sharing formula and a date for cabinet expansion. This is Shinde’s seventh trip to the national capital since he took oath of office on June 30.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde Rahul Raut/HT Photo

“There is no issue or difficulty in the expansion of the state cabinet. Why next week, it will happen soon,” he told reporters in Delhi.

The trip is significant in the backdrop of the Supreme Court hearing on a clutch of petitions on Monday over a split in Shiv Sena, disqualification of the rebel MLAs, and fall of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.

Shinde and Fadnavis attended the third meeting of the national committee on “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” on Saturday. On Sunday, Shinde will attend NITI Aayog’s governing council meeting to be chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi.

“They are expected to meet Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda. We are expecting a decision on the cabinet expansion soon,” an MLA from the Shinde faction said.

Shinde, however, said, ‘I have come to attend the third meeting of the national committee on ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and NITI Aayog’s governing council meeting.”

On Friday evening, both leaders had a one-on-one meeting at Fadnavis’s residence in Mumbai.