Congress' Nana Patole avers CM Shinde-led Maharashtra govt 'unconstitutional, won't last'

After 18 Maharashtra MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government in the first phase of the Cabinet expansion on August 9, state Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday said this newly-formed government won't last and is unconstitutional. He also alleged that the rebel MLAs and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to come into power with the help of money and blackmailing.

"This CM Eknath Shinde's administration won't last. It's unconstitutional. The Cabinet was expanded after 40 days. They came into power with the help of money, through blackmailing, and so on," Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. 

During the recent Cabinet expansion in the state that took place almost 40 days after Eknath Shinde took over as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, it was noted that the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and the BJP followed the nine plus nine formula (9+9) in the state for the formation of the Cabinet.  

Showcasing an act of balance, a total of 18 ministers were sworn in-- nine from each side. Sudhir Mungantiwar, Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Vijay Kumar Gavit, Ravindra Chavan, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Atul Save and Suresh Khade took oath from the BJP's side, and Dada Bhuse, Uday Samant, Sandeepan Bhumare, Deepak Kesarkar, Shambhuraj Desai, Abdul Sattar, Tanaji Sawant, Gulabrao Patil and Sanjay Rathod, who belonged to the Shinde camp were sworn in.

More ministers to be added in Maharashtra Cabinet soon: CM Shinde

Soon after 18 MLAs were inducted in the Maharashtra Cabinet, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that it was just the first phase of the Cabinet expansion and more ministers will be added soon in the next phase. "More ministers are yet to be added. This is a small Cabinet," he added. 

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that this time women will get appropriate representation in the state Cabinet. His statement came after 18 MLA Maharshtara Cabinet had no woman in it. "The objection that there is no woman minister in the newly formed Cabinet will be addressed soon. Women will get appropriate representation in our Cabinet," Fadnavis was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.