40 days after swearing-in, Shinde, BJP's 9+9 formula forms Maharashtra cabinet

After 40 days, the Maharashtra cabinet expansion has finally taken place amid the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis balancing act. The duo has held multiple meetings in Delhi over the last few weeks to hold discussions with the BJP high command amid speculation over the distribution of portfolios.

A total of 18 ministers - nine legislators from each side - were sworn in. From the BJP, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Vijay Kumar Gavit, Ravindra Chavan, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Atul Save, and Suresh Khade took oath.

In the Shinde camp, Dada Bhuse, Uday Samant, Sandeepan Bhumare,Deepak Kesarkar, Shambhuraj Desai, Abdul Sattar, Tanaji Sawant,Gulabrao Patil, and Sanjay Rathod were sworn in.

The oath ceremony came after huddles among MLAs of the BJP at Fadnavis’s residence on 'Monday night, and later among the legislators of the Shinde camp just ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

The opposition had been attacking the government over the delay in the induction of the council of ministers after Shinde’s revolt against Uddhav Thackeray led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government within days.

The BJP has 106 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly while the Shinde camp has a strength of 50 MLAs, including independent members. However, after Fadnavis took the role of the deputy chief minister, the BJP has ensured the balancing act in swearing in of ministers too.

Fadnavis had earlier said he would not be a part of the government.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's oath ceremony is taking place on a day the BJP-JDU government in Bihar is believed to be on shaky grounds.