SC hearing and cabinet expansion not related: Shinde govt

There are plans to have a full-fledged cabinet in place by August 15, sources said

The hearings in the Supreme Court about the Maharashtra political crisis and the ministerial expansion expected in the state are not related, the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government said on Sunday, reasserting that the council of ministers would be sooner than expected.

If all goes well, there are plans to have a full-fledged cabinet in place by Independence Day on August 15, sources told DH. This comes a day after CM Shinde said that the Cabinet would be expanded “very soon”.

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"There is no relation between the Supreme Court hearing and the expansion of council of ministers. Nowhere the apex court had said that the ministers could not be sworn in,” Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said.

Last week senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the ministers would be sworn in by August 15 so that guardian ministers of districts can be appointed and they can host the tricolour on Independence Day.

“This August 15 is very special for our country as we are completing 75 years of Independence. The cabinet expansion ought to be completed before Independence Day. But I have no doubt it would take place before August 15,” Mungantiwar said.