Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: 39 leaders take oath as ministers

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], December 15 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Sunday that 39 leaders have taken the oath as cabinet ministers, including six as state ministers, and that portfolio allocation is expected to be finalised within two days.
He stated that discussions during this session would focus on the Governor's speech, with 20 bills scheduled for introduction.
"Thirty-nine leaders have taken the oath today, six of whom are state ministers. In two days, portfolio allocation will be clarified. This session will include discussions on the Governor's speech, and 20 bills will be introduced," said Fadnavis.
Addressing the opposition's concerns regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Chief Minister reiterated that the issue had been previously addressed and assured that it would be clarified as often as necessary.
"The opposition submitted a letter, and a paragraph on EVMs was added to the letter from the last session. This issue has been addressed before and will be answered again whenever raised. I want to emphasise that EVM stands for 'Every Vote for Maharashtra'," he said.
Fadnavis also announced that his government would conduct a performance audit of all ministers to ensure accountability and effective governance.
"We will carry out a performance audit of all ministers. If a minister is found lacking in their duties, their position will be reconsidered," he added.
The cabinet expansion of the BJP-led Maharashtra government took place on Sunday, with 39 ministers sworn in during a ceremony in Nagpur.
The newly sworn-in cabinet ministers from the BJP include Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, Ganesh Naik, Mangalprabhat Lodha, Jaykumar Rawat, Pankaja Munde, Atul Save, Ashok Uike, Ashish Shelar, Shivendra Raje Bhosale, Jaikumar Gore, Sanjay Savkare, Nitesh Rane, and Akash Pundkar.
Shiv Sena leaders who took the oath include Gulab Patil, Dada Bhuse, Sanjay Rathod, Uday Samant, Shambhuraje Desai, Sanjay Shirsath, Pratap Sarnaik, Bharatshet Gogavale, and Prakash Abitkar.
NCP leaders inducted into the cabinet are Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Datta Bharane, Aditi Tatkare, Manikrao Kokate, Narhari Jhirwal, Mankarand Jadhav Patil, and Babasaheb Patil.
The six state ministers sworn in include BJP's Madhuri Misal, Pankaj Bhoar, and Meghna Bordikar, Shiv Sena's Ashish Jaiswal and Yogesh Kadam, and NCP's Indranil Naik.
Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to the new ministers. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were present at the ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant pledged to work under the leadership of CM Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Shinde and Pawar to advance the Mahayuti government's initiatives.
"We will work for the people of Maharashtra under Eknath Shinde's leadership. We will further the Mahayuti government's initiatives under Devendra Fadnavis. We function as a family and will ensure smooth governance," he said.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat, after taking the oath, described the moment as the culmination of 40 years of dedication and pledged to work diligently for Maharashtra's progress.
"It feels incredible. Today, we are reaping the fruits of 40 years of hard work. We now have the opportunity to serve Maharashtra across various departments, and we will make the most of it," he said.
Shirsat also lauded the performance-based tenure formula introduced by Deputy CM Shinde. "Eknath Shinde has stated that ministerial tenures will be for 2.5 years, extendable based on performance. This is an excellent formula. Those who perform will continue to progress," he added.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as a cabinet minister and pledged to focus on the state's development.
"I thank everyone for entrusting me, a young Hindutva activist, with the responsibility of a ministerial post. We will strive to develop Maharashtra," said Rane.
The cabinet expansion comes more than two weeks after CM Fadnavis and his deputies were sworn in on December 5. The Mahayuti alliance had faced criticism from the opposition for delaying the announcement of its cabinet despite having a significant majority.
In the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a landslide victory, securing 235 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and NCP won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. (ANI)