Shiv Sena rebels who had resigned as ministers likely to be part of Eknath Shinde-led Maha cabinet

MUMBAI, (PTI): The rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena who had served as ministers in the erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray-led government are likely to be inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led cabinet on Tuesday.

Names of former ministers Uday Samant, Sandipan Bhumre, Dada Bhuse, Gulabrao Patil, and Shambhuraj Desai are doing the rounds as the probables from the rebel camp as the much-awaited expansion of the cabinet is finally happening on Tuesday, almost 40 days after Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively.

Omprakash Kadu of the Prahar Janshakti Paksha, a former minister, who had supported Shinde during the rebellion could also find a place in the new cabinet. The MLAs in the Shinde faction said they will meet at the state government’s Sahyadri Guest House on Tuesday morning.

The oath-taking ceremony is slated to be held at 11 AM at the Raj Bhavan.

“We have not received any communication from the chief minister so far. We will get more clarity on it in tomorrow’s meeting,” said a rebel MLA who was a member of the Thackeray cabinet. Of the 55 MLAs of Shiv Sena, 40 have aligned with Shinde.

The revolt led to the collapse of the Thackeray-led government in June. Shinde was sworn in as the CM on June 30 along with Fadnavis, who took oath as the Deputy CM. A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday’s ceremony at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai at 11 AM, a close aide of Shinde had said.

The chief minister told reporters in Nanded on Monday evening that the names of MLAs who will take oath as ministers will be finalised by Monday night or on Tuesday. (PTI)