Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that even “non-performers” could be replaced in two-and-a-half months.
Ahead of the winter session of the state legislature, which begins on Monday, Fadnavis and his representatives addressed a press conference in Nagpur on Sunday where 39 MLAs from the Mahayuti took oath as ministers as part of the cabinet expansion.
BJP bagged 19 ministerial posts as the single largest party among allies. Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were given 11 and 9 seats respectively.
33 MPs took oath as Cabinet Ministers and 6 MPs took oath as Ministers of State.
Fadnavis said that the Mahayuti government would focus on the development of Maharashtra.
“We have decided on portfolio allocation and it will be announced in two to three days. Our administration will focus on rapid development,” he said.
Fadnavis said he and his MPs would subject the new ministers to a performance audit.
“The performance of the ministers is audited and all three of us have agreed on this,” he said.
The CM said that the BJP leaders who could not find a place in the cabinet could be given organizational roles.
Shinde said he had decided to give two-and-a-half years to new ministers at the Shiv Sena party level. “Good work makes progress,” he added.
Fadnavis criticized the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for calling the ruling coalition “the government of EVM”.
“Our government came to power because every vote went to Maharashtra. My government works according to the constitution and respecting the dignity of the constitution is our priority,” the chief minister said.
Fadnavis last week announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Masajog village in Beed district.
“The case has been handed over to the CID and a special SIT will be constituted to investigate it. The guilty will be punished,” the chief minister said.
He said that the mentally unstable person who was arrested for organizing the recent violence in Parbhani insulted the stone replica of the Constitution.
He said, ‘I have instructed the police to take action against the protesters who pelted stones at Parbhani.
Earlier on Sunday, the MVA targeted the Maharashtra government over the plight of farmers, price hike, jobs and the killing of the sarpanch.
Legislature-Parliament Leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve accused the government of creating ‘drama’ by keeping the session for only six days.
Earlier, the Nagpur session was held anywhere between three weeks and a month, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
Fadnavis said the grand coalition government is ready to answer all the issues raised by the opposition if they do so on the floor of the legislature instead of speaking to the media.