A day before the core committee meeting of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday met BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the possibility of a State Cabinet expansion and appointment of new State and Mumbai unit chiefs of the party.
On Friday, the State BJP core committee is scheduled to meet at the CM’s residence to convey the outcome of the meeting with Mr. Shah, following which another meeting of State party leaders with the central leadership has been planned in Delhi on June 9.
“I will meet Amit Shah ji on various issues. We are going in for a cabinet expansion in Maharashtra and that too will be discussed with him. We are also meeting on June 9, and then too, we will be discussing this issue,” Mr. Fadnavis said, before meeting Mr. Shah in Delhi.
Asked about the new State unit president of the BJP, as incumbent Raosaheb Danve has been elevated as Minister for State in the Central government, Mr. Fadnavis said, “We have yet not decided anything as of now. State unit presidents of around two to three states have become ministers now. Therefore, our central leadership will be deciding on guidelines regarding that and a decision will be taken soon.”
Former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil who resigned as MLA last week, is likely to join the BJP. The government’s ally Shiv Sena may have a few names in the Cabinet.
“The expansion has to be balanced. There are a number of interested leaders and all of them cannot be satisfied. The core committee will discuss all the issues and take a final decision,” said a senior BJP leader.
