Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar Sworn In Deputy CM, Aaditya Thackeray Gets Cabinet Rank

After a month-long delay over portfolio allocation among the three-party alliance, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray finally expanded his Cabinet on Monday.

Thackeray was sworn in on November 28 after the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress grand alliance — Maha Vikas Aghadi — came to power following weeks of negotiations over the CM seat.

Among those who were sworn in at Mumbai’s Vidhan Bhavan are Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray ( Cabinet Berth) and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM. This is the second time Pawar was sworn in after taking oath as deputy to BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis in November.

Thackeray’s Cabinet has 36 members, 13 each from Shiv Sena and NCP and 10 from Congress.

From the Congress, Ashok Chavan, KC Padvi, Vijay Wadettiwar, Amit Deshmukh, Sunil Kadar, Yashomati Thakur, Varsha Gaikwad and Aslam Sheikh took oath as Cabinet ministers. Besides, Satej Patil and Vishwajit Kadam of the Congress were sworn in as Ministers of State.

Mumbai: Congress' Amit Deshmukh takes oath as minister in Maharashtra Government. pic.twitter.com/k7j8c2VKrT

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2019

From the Shiv Sena’s side, former minister Deepak Kesarkar, MLC Anil Parab, MLAs Pratap Sarnaik and Abdul Sattar got Cabinet berths.

From NCP, Ajit Pawar, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushreef, Nawab Malik, Jitendra Awhad, Dhananjay Munde, Rajendra Shingne, Anil Deshmukh were inducted as ministers. The NCP is likely to make Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Datta Bharne junior ministers.

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2019

Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 ministers.