Five NCP and an independent legislator, were on Tuesday sworn-in as ministers in the Maharashtra government as part of the much-awaited reshuffle.
Madhukar Pichad and Shashikant Shinde of NCP and Dilip Sopal (independent) took oath as Cabinet ministers. Suresh Dhas, Uday Samant and Sanjay Savkhare were inducted as ministers of state.
They were administered the oath of office and secrecy by state governor K. Sankaranarayanan at Raj Bhawan here.
These new ministers come in place of Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Babanrao Pachpute and Laxman Dhobale (all cabinet) and Bhaskar Jadhav, Prakash Solanke and Gulabrao Devkar (all ministers of state), whose resignations have been accepted.
The three new faces in the Cabinet are: Savkhare, Samant and Shinde. Sopal, a former NCP leader, has earlier served as minister of state for law and judiciary.
Mr Pichad is from Akole in Ahmednagar, Shinde from Koregaon in Satara, Sopal from Barshi in Solapur, Uday Samant from Ratnagiri and Savkhare is from Jalgaon district.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar had last week sought resignations of all party ministers in the state ministry. On Monday night, deputy CM Ajit Pawar handed over the list of ministers to be dropped/inducted to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.
Mr Pichad said that those ministers who have been dropped will be drafted for party work.
As per the portfolios assigned to the newly sworn-in NCP legislators, Madhukar Pichad has been made tribal development minister, the portfolio earlier held by Babanrao Pachpute. Both are from Ahmednagar district.
Dilip Sopal (independent) is the new water supply and sanitation minister. Laxman Dhoble held the portfolio earlier. Both are from Solapur district.
Shashikant Shinde is the new water resources (Krishna Valley Irrigation Corporation) minister. The portfolio was earlier with Ramraje Nimbalkar, also from Satara district.
Among the ministers of state, Suresh Dhas has been allotted revenue portfolio, which was earlier held by Prakash Solanke, also from Beed district.
Uday Samant has been given urban development portfolio, earlier held by Bhaskar Jadhav, also from Ratnagiri district.
Sanjay Savkare, NCP’s dalit face included in Tuesday’s reshuffle, has been given the agriculture portfolio, earlier held by Gulabrao Deokar, also from Jalgaon district.
Sachin Ahir has been allocated charge of the ULC (urban land ceiling), transport, environment and parliamentary affairs, besides his earlier portfolios of housing, slum development, housing repairs and reconstruction.
Among the ministers of state, the portfolio of social justice, earlier held by Sachin Ahir, has now been allocated to Sanjay Savkare.