Mumbai, December 21
Six days after taking oath of ministers in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today divided the departments. The Chief Minister has kept five departments with him including the Home Department. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been given three departments including the Urban Development Department. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been entrusted with the Department of Finance, Planning and State Excise. It must be mentioned that the Mahayuti Cabinet under the leadership of BJP in Maharashtra was expanded on December 15 and 39 more MLAs were sworn in as ministers. With this, the number of ministers in Maharashtra has increased to 42. 19 BJP MLAs were made ministers. Similarly, 11 MLAs of Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and 9 of Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party have been made ministers.
Of these, 33 MLAs took oath as Cabinet Ministers while six as Ministers of State. Governor PC Radhakrishnan administered the oath to the new ministers. The newly appointed ministers include BJP state president Chandrasekhar Bawankule and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar. It may be mentioned that Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath on December 5. -News-Patiala
