The news of Cabinet expansion brings some hope for Shiv Sena's members in the Assembly because most of the party's incumbent senior ministers are from the Upper house. However, going by sources, party loyalists are likely to miss the bus this time around as well, as the Sena leadership plans to induct former NCP leader Jaidutt Kshirsagar, who last month switched his loyalty to the Thackerays.

The party members directly elected to the Assembly have been complaining that they got a raw deal in sharing power. When Sena joined the BJP government in 2014, it gave four senior leaders from the Upper house priority. They made an exception for Eknath Shinde by giving him one of the five Cabinet slots. But it drafted Assembly members in all the five positions of junior ministers, who are now aspiring for promotion with the expectation that some seniors would be dropped.