Maharashtra Cabinet expansion soon: CM Shinde after meeting with Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said that "the state cabinet will be expanded soon". Shinde was speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with Maharashtra deputy CMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, at his official residence, on Tuesday late night.

Ahead of CM Shinde's comment, Deputy CMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were spotted leaving his official residence after the meeting. While reacting to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's remark on Fadnavis, Shinde said that Thackeray has lost his right to speak as he had compromised Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology for power.

"Uddhav Thackeray's comment on Devendra Fadnavis is condemnable. He (Uddhav Thackeray) in the year--2019 abandoned the ideas of Balasaheb Thackeray, forgot everything in the greed of the chair, what right does he have to speak about Devendra Fadnavis?," said CM Eknath Shinde. Earlier on Monday, Uddhav Thackeray hitting out at Fadnavis has called him a "kalank" (taint) on Nagpur since he joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) though he had earlier promised never to do so.

"Once he said, 'I will come again'. However, he brought two more people with him...Devendra Fadnavis is a taint on Nagpur," the former Maharashtra chief minister said. Later, on the very next day to Thackeray comment Fadnavis responded saying that his "former friend" and "present political rival" cannot digest the current politcal situation in Maharashtra and he needs a "psychiatrist."

"The current political developments in Maharashtra is showing a huge impact on our former friend and present political rival," Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said adding, "He needs a psychiatrist, he needs treatment."