Maharashtra cabinet expansion likely on December 15, oath-taking ceremony in Nagpur: Sources

Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as his deputies at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5. The council of ministers in Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 members including the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule held discussions with deputy CMs Shinde and Pawar on Friday to finalise the Cabinet lineup. Hectic parleys took place at Pawar’s Deogiri bungalow in South Mumbai, where he consulted with party leaders.

The Maharashtra government formation has been marked by dramatic developments, including Shinde initially opting out of a government role to focus on party organisation. However, he was later persuaded to take the position of Deputy Chief Minister.

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the elections, winning 235 Assembly seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed only 49 seats. The Assembly election in the state was held in a single phase on November 20. The results of state elections were declared on November 23, and the names of elected legislative assembly members were published in the Maharashtra government state gazette vide the ECI's notification. This was done as per the provisions of section 73 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.