Nagpur, 15th December : The new Maharashtra cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was sworn in on Sunday at Raj Bhavan in Nagpur. The ceremony, presided over by Governor CP Radhakrishnan, also featured Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

This marks a rare occurrence, as the last cabinet swearing-in in Nagpur was in 1991, conducted by then-Governor C Subramaniam. The event comes just a day before the winter session of the state legislature. Portfolio allocations are expected to be finalized swiftly, with the alliance having only one day to assign responsibilities before the session begins.

Key Ministers in the Cabinet
1. Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP): The BJP’s state president and MLA from Kamthi, Nagpur district, was the first to take the oath.
2. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (BJP): An eight-term MLA from Shirdi, Patil previously served as Revenue Minister in the Shinde government.
3. Hasan Mushrif (NCP): A four-time MLA from Kagal in Kolhapur district.
4. Chandrakant Patil (BJP): Representing Kothrud in Pune, Patil was a Revenue and Public Works Minister in the earlier Fadnavis government.
5. Pankaja Munde (BJP): The daughter of former CM Gopinath Munde, she is a BJP national secretary and an MLC.
6. Girish Mahajan (BJP): A seven-term MLA from Jamner in Jalgaon district, known for his close association with Fadnavis.
7. Gulabrao Patil (Shiv Sena): A fifth-term MLA from Jalgaon Rural, who joined Shinde’s camp during the Shiv Sena split.
8. Ganesh Naik (BJP): A seven-term MLA from Airoli, who joined the BJP in 2019 after stints with Shiv Sena and NCP.
9. Dada Bhuse (Shiv Sena): A five-term MLA from Malegaon Outer, aligned with Shinde during the Shiv Sena split.
10. Sanjay Rathod (Shiv Sena): Representing Digras constituency.
11. Dhananjay Munde (NCP): A two-term MLA from Parli.
12. Mangal Prabhat Lodha (BJP): A seven-term MLA from Malabar Hill and former Mumbai BJP president.
13. Uday Samant (Shiv Sena): A five-term MLA from Ratnagiri, previously the Education Minister in Uddhav Thackeray’s government.
14. Jaykumar Rawal (BJP): A fifth-term MLA from Sindhkheda.
15. Atul Save (BJP): A three-term MLA from Sambhajinagar East and former Housing Minister in the Shinde government.
16. Ashok Uike (BJP): A tribal leader and third-term MLA from Ralegaon in Yavatmal.
17. Shambhuraje Desai (Shiv Sena): A four-term MLA from Patan.
18. Ashish Shelar (BJP): A third-term MLA from Bandra West and current Mumbai BJP chief.
19. Dattatreya Bharne (NCP): A third-term MLA from Indapur.
20. Aditi Tatkare (NCP): Representing Shrivardhan, she played a key role in implementing the Ladki Bahin scheme.
21. Shivendraraje Bhosale (BJP): A fifth-term MLA from Satara and a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Challenges Behind Cabinet Formation

The cabinet swearing-in ceremony comes ten days after Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The delay in portfolio allocations highlights the challenges faced by the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in balancing power among Shiv Sena and NCP factions, both vying for influential positions in the government.

In the recent state elections, the Mahayuti secured a sweeping victory with 235 seats. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party, winning 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 and the NCP with 41. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance suffered a major defeat, with Congress securing just 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 20, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) only 10.

The new cabinet represents a blend of seasoned leaders and fresh faces, with ministers poised to handle the governance challenges of a politically diverse Maharashtra. With portfolios yet to be finalized, all eyes are now on the winter session and how the alliance shapes its governance strategy.