Governor P Vidyasagar administering the oath of office to newly inducted ministers. (Source: twitter/@CMOMaharashtra)In what is likely to be the last reshuffle-cum-expansion before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday expanded his cabinet adding 12 new ministers. Governor P Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at Raj Bhawan.
Former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was inducted along with Shiv Sena’s Jaidutta Kshirsaga. The BJP leaders who were sworn-in include Ashish Shelar (Mumbai), Anil Bonde (Amravati region), Atul Save (Aurangabad), Sanjay Kute (Shegaon, Buldhana), Suresh Khadse (Sangli) and Sanjay Beghde (Maval). Meanwhile, Fadnavis also added Avinash Mahatekar of Republican Party of India as a Minister of State (MoS).
Maharashtra housing minister Prakash Mehta and five other state ministers quit their posts, an official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) told PTI. The housing minister had courted controversy over a slum redevelopment project. Although the project was stayed and the decision overruled by the CM, the entire matter was investigated.
Earlier, Fadnavis had also held a meeting with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and apprised him about the Cabinet expansion.
At present, there are at least four important portfolios which are being handled by ministers as an additional charge. After the death of Pandurang Phundkar last year, the agriculture portfolio has been held as additional charge by Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil. After BJP minister Girish Bapat moved to the Lok Sabha after winning the Pune seat, the food, civil supplies and public distribution portfolio have been handed an additional charge to Jai Kumar Rawal. Shiv Sena minister Deepak Sawant had to resign a few months ago as he was not renominated by the party to the state council. The health portfolio which he held has been entrusted to senior minister Eknath Shinde.
“There are four important portfolios awaiting full-fledged ministers, so the CM has the scope to induct at least four new ministers,” a BJP source said. The total strength of the state Cabinet should not exceed 42. At present, there are 37 ministers.
(With inputs from ENS)
