At least two MLAs from Pune district are set to become ministers in the Maharashtra coalition government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The two are Chandrakant Patil of BJP and Dattatraya Bharne of NCP. However, there is little possibility that CPN’s Dilip Walse Patil will enter the cabinet after winning the eighth assembly election in a row.
Fadnavis is going to expand the cabinet and take oath on Sunday New Ministers to function in Nagpur Fadnavis’ hometown. Nagpur is all decked up for the occasion, and the event will take place at 4 pm, said Shiv Sena’s Uday Samant.
According to BJP sources, the party with 132 MLAs will have 21 ministers, while the Shiv Sena with 57 MLAs will have 12 ministers and the NCP with 41 MLAs will have 10 ministers.
Chandrakant Patil had earlier served as a minister in both the Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde ministries. He was elected from Kothrud constituency in Pune city. Bharne defeated Harshvardhan Patil from Indapur assembly constituency by 19 thousand votes.
According to CPN sources, Dilip Walse Patil himself asked to keep the party away from the Council of Ministers. According to CPN sources, he can be appointed as the governor of other states. However, Valse-Patil reached Nagpur on Sunday.
“The names will be announced by our leader Ajit Pawar,” NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said, refusing to confirm or deny that Walse-Patil would be in the Fadnavis cabinet.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Girish Mahajan said, “I was in the middle of the call when our party president Chandrasekhar Bawankule called me to take the oath of office today.” I am becoming a minister for the third time. I am very happy. I have not been told anything about which ministry I will take charge of. But I am ready to accept any responsibility given to me.”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena’s two-time Dapoli MLA Yogesh Kadam expressed happiness over Eknath Shinde’s selection for the Cabinet role. He said, ‘This is the most important day of my life. Dapoli assembly constituency finally got a minister after 50 years, I feel proud of this achievement. I have no particular preference for any ministry, I am ready to take responsibility of any ministry given to me.”
Shiv Sena spokesperson Bharat Gogawa, who was earlier denied a berth in the Shinde cabinet, said, “I got a call…it’s a good feeling. Who doesn’t want to be a minister? After all, Shiv Sena’s Fadnavis cabinet will have 12 ministers.”
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