Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel to meet BJP top brass in Delhi tonight ahead of Maharashtra Cabinet reshuffle

The newly sworn-in second deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar and a member of his NCP faction, Praful Patel, are expected to be in New Delhi tonight where they will be meeting the BJP top brass, sources said. The talks of Pawar and Patel’s visit to the national capital come amid a cabinet expansion tussle in Maharashtra soon after Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government in the state. Also, there have been rumours of the reallocation of portfolios in the Maharashtra government after Ajit Pawar severed ties with his uncle Sharad Pawar to join the ruling coalition in the state. Ever since joining hands, the NCP has been eyeing major portfolios which have been keeping the leaders of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena camp worried and apprehensive. The portfolio allocation in Maharashtra is stuck as the Ajit Pawar-led NCP camp has been demanding a sizeable share of important portfolios. A few sitting ministers in the Maharashtra government are expected to lose the post they are holding. They may continue to remain ministers but might have to give away the key portfolio that they have been allocated. Also, there were reports that as per initial understanding, only those cabinet portfolios that are with BJP ministers will be given to NCP and the sharing will take place between the BJP and NCP. The scenario has now changed and portfolios that Shinde’s ministers have are expected to be included in the Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle. With inputs from agencies