Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: 12 Shiv Sena MLAs To Take Oath As Ministers Today, Swearing-In Ceremony At 4 PM

Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: Twelve MLAs from Shiv Sena are set to take oath as ministers in Maharashtra cabinet expansion on Sunday. Shiv Sena MLA Bharatshet Gogawale said that the oath-taking ceremony will take place at 4 pm today. According to Gogawale, twelve MLAs from his party including himself will take oath as ministers of which seven are new faces.

"Oath ceremony will take place at 4 pm today. So, we have all come to Nagpur. 7 people are new (who will take oath as ministers) and 5 are being repeated," Gogawale told ANI. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Girish Mahajan said that he got a call from the state BJP Chief announcing his selection as minister.

"State BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule called me and told me that I have to take oath (as Maharashtra Minister) at 4 pm. I will take oath as the minister for the third time. I express gratitude to the party," Mahajan told ANI. Shiv Sena MLA Yogesh Ramdas Kadam told ANI that if he was allowed to serve as minister he would be thankful to Eknath Shinde.

"I would not be able to tell you much but as the youngest MLA in Shiv Sena, if I am given an opportunity, I would be thankful to Eknath Shinde for letting me serve the people of Maharashtra & Konkan region...I will carry out well whatever responsibility is given to me...The official list will be presented to the Governor within 1-2 hours," Ramdas Kadam said.

BJP MLA Shivendra Raje Bhosale told ANI that he did not get a call from the party leadership, adding that everyone will abide by the decision of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. "I have not received any phone call yet. Let's see what happens...Workers in the constituency do have expectations but everyone will abide by the decision of Devendra Fadnavis, whatever he decides," Bhosale said.

Reacting to the Cabinet expansion, Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant said, "I have not received a phone call yet but all those who will be given the responsibility by Eknath Shinde, will shoulder that responsibility well. Those who will get the phone call will take the oath." The Cabinet expansion is taking place after more than two weeks since Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his two deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were sworn in on December 5.

The Mahayuti alliance had come under fire from the opposition for not naming its cabinet despite having an overwhelming majority. The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.