Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to allocate the post of Maharashtra Agriculture Minister to former Congress leader Vikhe Patil in the cabinet expansion, which will take place tomorrow.
Patil, who is the former leader of opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is likely to join BJP. Patil’s son Sujay had joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections after being denied ticket by the Congress party from Ahmednagar, the Patil’s bastion.
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Earlier today, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that the cabinet expansion will take place tomorrow.
However, no official statement has been made by the Chief Minister over the inclusion of Patil in the state cabinet as yet.
The post of Maharashtra Agriculture Minister has been lying vacant since the death of senior BJP leader Pandurang Fundkar in May 2018.
After Fundkar’s death, Fadnavis looked after the department for a few months and later gave the additional charge of the ministry to Chandrakant Patil, the revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister.
Currently, Eknath Dawale, who has an additional charge of water conservation department was made secretary of the agriculture department.
On Friday, Fadnavis has met Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and reportedly discussed the cabinet expansion.
