Maharashtra cabinet expansion: CM Fadnavis pays floral tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar in Nagpur

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], December 15 (ANI): Ahead of the state cabinet expansion, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnaivs on Sunday paid floral tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar in Nagpur.
He held a roadshow in the city for the first time after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti swept the 2024 assembly elections.
He was accompanied by his wife Amruta Fadnavis and Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Speaking to ANI, Amruta Fadnavis expressed happiness and said that responsibility has increased on their shoulders.
"It feels extremely delightful to see the love of people. The responsibility has increased and we have to shoulder it," Amruta Fadnavis told ANI during the roadshow.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar also arrived in Nagpur ahead of the first cabinet meeting and expansion of the BJP-led State government.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Bharatshet Gogawale today said that the oath-taking ceremony will take place at 4 pm today. Twelve MLAs from his party including himself will take oath as ministers of which seven are new faces, he said.
"Oath ceremony will take place at 4 pm today. So, we have all come to Nagpur. Seven people are new (who will take oath as ministers) and 5 are being repeated," Gogawale told ANI.
BJP MLA Girish Mahajan said that he got a call from the state BJP Chief announcing his selection as minister.
"State BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule called me and told me that I have to take oath (as Maharashtra Minister) at 4 pm. I will take oath as the minister for the third time. I express gratitude to the party," Mahajan told ANI.
BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde said, "I am delighted that I am getting the opportunity to work in the team of CM Devendra Fadnavis once again. I express gratitude to PM Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda and..."
The Mahayuti alliance had come under fire from the opposition for not naming its cabinet despite having an overwhelming majority.
The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.
The Shiv Sena and NCP also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively. (ANI)