As many as 18 MLAs, 9 each from the BJP and Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, were sworn in as ministers at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on Tuesday, the cabinet expansion coming after 40 days after a rebellion by the Sena faction led by Shinde brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.BJP MLAs who got cabinet berths include Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, Suresh Khade, Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil, Ravindra Chavhan, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Vijaykumar Gavit and Atul Save.
From the Sena camp, Dada Bhuse, Sandeepan Bhumre, Uday Samant, Tanaji Sawant, Abdul Sattar, Deepak Kesarkar, Gulabrao Patil, Sanjay Rathod and Shambhuraje Desai took the oath of office.
This takes the strength of the Maharashtra ministry to 20, less than half the maximum allowed strength of 43. The next round of expansion would take place later, an official said.
Shinde, who is backed by 40 of the 55 Sena MLAs, is understood to have met MLAs of his camp ahead of the ceremony, reports PTI.
The Opposition had criticised the delay in expanding the cabinet following Shinde's swearing-in as chief minister and the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy in June.
The CM has made seven visits to New Delhi in the last one month, and with every visit there was talk that the ministry expansion was round the corner.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar said Shinde had promised a ministerial berth to every MLA who joined him. “Now Shinde is unable to fulfil his promise, hence the delay in cabinet expansion. The chief minister should disclose reasons for the delay,” Pawar said.