Congress ministers submit resignations to CM

Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Wednesday revealed that all Congress ministers in his cabinet had submitted their resignations to him, with the ministers from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) forwarding theirs to the deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite Patil.

"All the independents who hold ministerial posts have also submitted their resignations to us. This will held us to trim the size of the state cabinet of ministers by 22 to bring it to the permitted 43 strong cabinet before July 7," Shinde said.

He added that while four ministers "" Chaggan Bhujbal, Anadrao Deokatte, Laxman Dhoble and Eknath Gaikwad "" had already resigned from their ministership earlier brining down the 69 minister strong cabinet's strength to 65, a further 22 ministers would have to be dropped to keep it within the mandated size of 15 per cent of the strength of the state legislative assembly as per enacted law. The law comes into force on July 7.

Shinde said that there was a clear understanding with the independents, who are supporting the Democratic Frong government that they would be fielded from their respective assembly segments as friendly parties with neither the Congress nor the NCP pitting any candidates against them.

Shinde, however, said that talks on the pre-poll alliance between the Congress and NCP were still ongoing, while refusing to comment.