In late-night huddle CM Eknath Shinde discusses Cabinet expansion with Fadnavis

The meeting between Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis lasted till 2 AM on Thursday night. The meeting was held to discuss power-sharing after Ajit Pawar led a rebellion and joined the Maharashtra government along with eight other sacked NCP MLAs.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) Devendra Fadnavis on late Thursday night called on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss Cabinet expansion after expelled Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar orchestrated a coup and joined the state government.

Ajit Pawar, now the Deputy Chief Minister, was sworn in at the Raj Bhawan in south Mumbai, on Sunday last. Eight other rebel NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, and Sanjay Bansode, were sworn in as Maharashtra Ministers.

Sources said that the meeting between Fadnavis and Shinde held at the Chief Minister's official residence 'Varsha' in south Mumbai, lasted till 2 am. "The two leaders discussed the expansion of the Cabinet after the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP became a part of the government," sources added. The Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena had rubbished reports that its MLAs were uncomfortable after Ajit Pawar had joined the government.

Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant, a close aid of Maharashtra CM, had on Thursday said, that all the MLAs and MPs, who were with the CM, have reposed faith in his leadership. Eknath Shinde had also said that his triple-engine government was getting stronger. "With our government now made up of three parties, the strength of our MLAs is over 200," Shinde had said, adding his government has the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

It has been five days since Ajit Pawar and the eight expelled MLAs took oath, but they are yet to be given portfolios. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Sharad Pawar faction, including Leader of Opposition Jitendra Awhad and Jayant Patil, on Friday morning arrived at the residence of Sharad Pawar in south Mumbai for a meeting.

The national executive of the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, which met in the national capital on Thursday, had ratified senior Pawar's decision to expel the rebel legislators, including Ajit Pawar. The Ajit Pawar group had hit back saying there was no legal sanctity for the meeting called by Sharad Pawar.