Maha CM Eknath Shinde’s Delhi visit tonight cancelled, no reason given

MUMBAI, (PTI): The Delhi visit of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who was supposed to fly to the national capital on Wednesday night, has been cancelled, an official said.

The official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) didn’t attribute any reason for the sudden cancellation of Shinde’s visit.

The announcement of the CM’s visit to Delhi earlier in the day gave traction to speculation that the expansion of the new state cabinet, pending for almost a month, is imminent.

Currently, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are the only members of the state cabinet since they took oath on June 30. Earlier in the day, the CMO had said Shinde will board a flight to Delhi at 7 PM. He will reach Maharashtra Sadan at 9 PM, it had said but didn’t disclose his engagements in the national capital nor the day when he is supposed to return to Maharashtra. Fadnavis was not accompanying Shinde to Delhi.

Shinde took oath as the chief minister on June 30, two days after his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray resigned as his government was reduced to a minority due to the rebellion led by Shinde and 39 MLAs of Shiv Sena.

Shinde visited Delhi on at least four occasions after assuming charge as the CM. He had gone to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders.

In another visit, he met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a breakaway group of 12 MPs of Shiv Sena. He had also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Droupadi Murmu as the President.

Fadnavis had earlier said that the new council of ministers will be formed soon.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had taken potshots at the new government over the delay in the allocation of portfolios. (PTI)