Days after Ajit Pawar's surprise move to join the Maharashtra coalition government, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde late last night to discuss power sharing.
During the meeting that lasted till 2 am, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis discussed a cabinet expansion. The meeting took place hours after the Shinde camp refuted reports that its MLAs had been uncomfortable with Ajit Pawar's entry into the ruling coalition. The party asserted that Eknath Shinde has no plans of stepping down as Chief Minister. Mr Shinde also denied any differences within the party.
Meanwhile, NCP veteran Sharad Pawar has expelled 12 rebels -- including his nephew Ajit Pawar and former top aide Praful Patel. Sharad Pawar's national executive meet in Delhi drew a sharp response from the Ajit Pawar faction, which said it has "no legal sanctity".
