Hasan Mushrif, 70
Constituency: Kagal
Previous Government Portfolio: Medical education
Mushrif, a six-term MLA from the sugarcane region of Kagal in Kolhapur, is the face of the party in western Maharashtra. The only Muslim face in the state cabinet, Mushrif is known as a silent activist, away from the limelight. He had been facing corruption charges from the BJP since 2019 in connection with transactions between the Kolhapur District Central Cooperative Bank and sugar mills linked to family members. After switching sides and joining hands with Ajit Pawar’s NCP, an ally of the BJP, the charges dropped. Mushrif’s tenure in the previous government was also mired in controversy, with allegations of awarding labor contracts to a company linked to him.
Dhananjay Munde, 49
Constituency: Pearly
Previous Government Portfolio: agriculture
A staunch Ajit Pawar loyalist, Munde is also known to have cordial relations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Nephew of BJP leader late Gopinath Munde and nephew of BJP MLC Pankaja Munde, Dhananjay is the OBC (Vanjari caste) face of the party from Beed district in Marathwada. Munde has been criticized for the effective management of the agriculture department in the previous government. However, his command over the electorate and his close relationship with Pawar and Fadnavis worked in his favour. Last week, Munde was embroiled in controversy when his close aide Valmik Karad was accused of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a Beed sarpanch.
Aditi Tatkare, 36
Constituency: Shrivardhan
Department in previous government: Women and Child Development
Although a first-time MLA, Tatkare was given cabinet status in the previous government. Her tenure as the state’s women and child development minister was highlighted by the launch of the widely popular Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which is considered a key factor in the Mahayutti’s success in the assembly elections. She is also the young face of the party from the Konkan region and the daughter of NCP state unit chief and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare.
Babasaheb Patil, 66
Constituency: Ahmedpur
Patil, a third term MLA, hails from Ahmedpur constituency in Marathwada’s Latur district. This is the first time he has become a member of the Council of Ministers. He is one of the two NCP MLAs from Latur. In the previous tenure, the party had made newly appointed Sanjay Bansode a cabinet minister from the neighboring Udgir (SC) seat. Now, the party has chosen a Maratha face from Marathwada which has become the focal point of the Maratha movement.
Dattatraya Bharne, 56
Constituency: Indpur
Bharne, a third-term MLA from Pune’s Indapur Assembly, is the Dhangar face of the NCP and a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Bharne was the Minister of State in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of 2019. Indapur in Bharne is Ajit Pawar’s neighboring constituency of Baramati.
Narhari Jirwal, 65
Constituency: Dindori
A four-term MLA, Jirwal was also the former Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. A senior leader and the tribal face of the party from North Maharashtra, Jirwal will be a minister for the first time. He is one of the prominent tribal leaders in the state, who raised his voice against the ST status of the Dhangar community.
Makarand Patil, 58
Constituency: Wow
A four-time MLA, Patil hails from Y in Satara district. This is the first time that Patil has entered the cabinet of the state. Patil was one of the MLAs of the undivided NCP which was unclear till the end about the split in the party after the defection from Ajit Pawar. However, he chose Ajit Pawar’s side. After the Lok Sabha elections, his brother Nitin Patil was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the NCP.
Manikrao Kokate, 67
Constituency: Sinner
Kokate, a five-time MLA from Sinnar in North Maharashtra’s Nashik district, has become a minister for the first time. Kokate, who became famous by changing parties several times, is now displacing the senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal from Nashik as the face of the party.
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