Uddhav inducts 35 ministers; Ajit deputy CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray yesterday expanded his cabinet by inducting 35 ministers – including his son Aditya Thackeray – comprising 25 of Cabinet and 10 of Minister of State rank.

Nationalist Congress Party senior leader was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister for a record fourth time – and a second time in two months.

Mumbai MLA Aditya Thackeray has been made a Cabinet minister, making it a first time in the state when a father-son pair of CM and cabinet minister will function jointly.

All the new ministers were sworn in this afternoon by Governor B S Koshyari outside the Maharashtra Legislature Complex, Nariman Point.

Welcoming the expansion, the ruling allies Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress leaders termed it as a “well-balanced” exercise by Thackeray giving appropriate representation to all sections, communities and regions in the state.

However, leaders of various smaller allies expressed their displeasure saying they were not given any ministerial berths nor invited for the swearing-in ceremony by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Speaking to mediapersons later, Thackeray said the cabinet portfolios would be allocated within a couple of days.

He also dismissed reports of a rift or displeasure from several quarters, saying he has not heard any such thing, after conducting the first full-fledged cabinet meeting this evening.

The other heavyweights in the cabinet are Congress ex-chief minister Ashok Chavan, ex-NCP leader of opposition in Council Dhananjay Munde, ex-speaker Dilip Walse-Patil, and NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik.

The cabinet has three women – NCP’s Aditi Tatkare (MoS) and Congress’ Varsha Gaikwad and Yashomati Thakur, both Cabinet rank – though the Sena has no woman representative in the government for the present.