The first cabinet expansion of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took place on a noteworthy Sunday, where 39 legislators were entrusted with ministerial positions. The swearing-in ceremony unfolded in the vibrant city of Nagpur, escalating the total count of ministers in the cabinet to 42. The distribution saw BJP claiming 19 posts, Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde securing 11, and Ajit Pawar's NCP grasping 9. Among these, 33 pledged as cabinet ministers, while 6 assumed roles as state ministers. Governor PC Radhakrishnan officiated over this solemn ceremony prior to the winter session of the state assembly, scheduled from December 16 to 21 in Nagpur. Sources indicate that the term for these ministers is charted out to be 2.5 years.
The charismatic leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, marked their presence on this pivotal occasion. Key figures such as Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar were integrated into the new council. The state assembly elections of November 20, with results declared on November 23, set the stage for this grand assembly.
Who Swore in as Ministers from Each Party
BJP
1- Chandrashekhar Bawankule2- Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil3- Chandrakant Patil4- Girish Mahajan5- Ganesh Naik6- Mangal Prabhat Lodha7- Jaykumar Rawal8- Pankaja Munde9- Atul10- Ashok Uike11- Ashish Shelar12- Shivendra Raje Bhosale13- Jaykumar Gore14- Sanjay Savkare15- Nitesh Rane16- Akash Fundkar17- Madhuri Misal (State Minister)18- Pankaj Bhoyar (State Minister)19- Mehna Bordikar (State Minister)
NCP (Ajit Pawar)
1- Hasan Mushrif2- Dhananjay Munde3- Datta Mama Bharane4- Aditi Tatkare5- Manikrao Kokate6- Narhari Zirwal7- Makrand Aba Patil8- Babasaheb Patil9- Indranil Naik (State Minister)
Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)
1- Gulabrao Patil2- Dada Bhuse3- Sanjay Rathod4- Uday Samant5- Shambhuraj Desai6- Sanjay Shirsat7- Pratap Sarnaik8- Bharat Sheth Gogawale9- Prakash Abitkar10- Ashish Jaiswal (State Minister)11- Yogesh Kadam (State Minister)
Nagpur Witnesses Grand Swearing-in of 39 Ministers
Notably, this grand swearing-in ceremony at Nagpur's Raj Bhavan was the first of its kind in Maharashtra's sub-capital in 33 years. Previously, such grandeur was witnessed during Sudhakarrao Naik's government expansion in 1991, marking Nagpur's significant role parallel to Mumbai, Maharashtra's capital. The late Sudhakarrao Naik's innovative inclusion of former Shiv Sena rebels Chhagan Bhujbal and Rajendra Kale now echoes in recent political strides.
Opportunities Ahead for Left-Out Leaders: Ajit Pawar
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, reflecting on the cabinet expansion, assured to extend opportunities to legislators who missed the initial inclusion in this term. Addressing NCP workers in Nagpur, he promised equitable chances across the 2.5-year framework. Highlighting human aspirations for leadership roles, he emphasized inclusivity while reiterating ministerial positions' constraints.
Key Leaders Outside the Current Cabinet
Significant leaders like NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Patil, and BJP's Sudhir Mungantiwar remain outside the present cabinet fold. With a provision for a maximum of 43 members in Maharashtra's cabinet, including the Chief Minister, 33 have sworn in as cabinet ministers, while six have taken state ministerial roles, allowing room for strategic roles in the near future.
Understand the significant restructuring with detailed insights.
