Leaders of the Mahayuti alliance were sworn in as cabinet ministers in the Maharashtra government during a ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Nagpur on Sunday. The 10-day-old BJP-led alliance ministry in Maharashtra was expanded with 39 ministers being sworn in, taking its strength to 42. In the expansion, BJP got 19 ministerial berths, followed by 11 to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and nine for Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party. While 33 legislators were sworn in as cabinet ministers, six took oath as ministers of state.
Governor P C Radhakrishnan administered the oath to the new ministers at the ceremony held on the eve of the state legislature`s winter session being held in Nagpur from December 16 to 21. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who took oath in Mumbai on December 5, were present.
BJP’s state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, along with Ashish Shelar, Ganesh Naik, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Pankaja Munde, Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Chandrakant Patil and Nitesh Rane were among those who took the oath.
CM Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta at a roadshow in Nagpur on Sunday. Pic/PTI
Shiv Sena leaders Shambhuraj Desai, Dadaji Dagadu Bhuse, Sanjay Rathod, Uday Samant, Gulabrao Patil, and Sanjay Shirsat, representing Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde`s faction, were also sworn in as ministers. NCP leaders Aditi Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde, and Hasan Mushrif were also inducted into the cabinet.
The new cabinet includes state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar. The Mahayuti alliance had faced criticism from the Opposition for delaying the announcement of its cabinet despite holding a significant majority.
In the November 20 Assembly polls, the Mahayuti swept to power, winning 230 out of 288 seats in the state. The BJP led with 132 seats, followed by Shinde`s Shiv Sena with 57 and Pawar`s NCP getting 41. Results of the elections were declared on November 23.
MVA boycotts customary tea party
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will boycott the tea party to be hosted by the Maharashtra government on the eve of the state legislature’s winter session here on Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said. Danve said that although the Opposition’s strength in the Assembly may be less, it will, with its full force, take on the government on various issues, including those pertaining to farmers. The six-day duration of the winter session was too short, the leader of Opposition in the state legislative council added. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also demanded an extension of the session.
New Ministers
BJP (19)
1. Chandrashekhar Bawankule
2. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil
3. Chandrakant Patil
4. Girish Mahajan
5. Ganesh Naik
6. Mangal Prabhat Lodha
7. Jaykumar Rawal
8. Pankaja Munde
9. Atul Save
10. Ashok Uike
11. Ashish Shelar
12. Shivendrasinh Bhosale
13. Jaykumar Gore
14. Sanjay Savkare
15. Nitesh Rane
16. Akash Fundkar
17. Madhuri Misal
18. Pankaj Bhoyar
19. Meghana Bordikar
Shiv Sena (11)
1. Gulabrao Patil
2. Dada Bhuse
3. Sanjay Rathod
4. Uday Samant
5. Shambhuraj Desai
6. Sanjay Shirsat
7. Pratap Sarnaik
8. Bharat Gogawale
9. Prakash Abitkar
10. Ashish Jaiswal
11. Yogesh Kadam
NCP (9)
1. Hasan Mushrif
2. Dhananjay Munde
3. Dattatray Bharne
4. Aditi Tatkare
5. Manikrao Kokate
6. Narhari Zirwal
7. Makrand Jadhav-Patil
8. Babasaheb Patil
9. Indranil Naik
No of ministers sworn in from each party
BJP
20
Shiv Sena
12
NCP
10
