Expansion of Fadnavis cabinet likely before winter session

Expansion of Maharashtra cabinet is likely before the winter session of the state Assembly with a sulking Shiv Sena sitting in the opposition, a BJP leader said today.
"The cabinet expansion is likely after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to India. It will certainly happen before the winter session," the BJP leader told PTI here.
The names of those who could be inducted in the Devendra Fadnavis ministry were discussed in the meeting of state BJP's core committee, he said.
"The Sena has anyway decided not to be with us. So even after the expansion there will be only BJP leaders in the cabinet. As soon as the list of our nominees is approved by the Central leaders, we will go ahead," he said.

"We also need to give time to the new ministers to understand their portfolios before the session starts," he said.
Meanwhile, talking about the core committee's meeting, Revenue minister Eknath Khadse said, "We discussed the Assembly elections. We are trying to analyse the voting patterns. Wherever we have got less votes, we are trying to find out the reasons and what can be done to improve the results."
Party sources also said that the Chief Minister was likely to resign from the post of state BJP president, while MLA Ashish Shelar would be quitting as Mumbai BJP chief.