Newly-inducted Maha ministers assure to work in cohesion

Newly-sworn in ministers in the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government on Monday hinted at working in cohesion and as per coalition dharma.

A Sena minister said portfolios might be allocated on Monday itself.

Over a month after taking oath as chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray has expanded his council of ministers by inducting 26 Cabinet and 10 Ministers of State.

After taking oath, cabinet minister and Congress leader Amit Deshmukh said that the Sena, NCP and Congress will work in cohesion.

Deshmukh also admitted the delay in expansion of the council of ministers.

"All the three parties will work together cohesively. It is true that we took little longer time for government formation as well as for Cabinet expansion. There will be full cooperation in all the three parties and their leaders," he told reporters.

Sena leader Anil Parab, who took oath as a Cabinet minister for the first time, said they will follow the path of late Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

"I think most of the ministers will get their portfolios by today itself. The actual functioning of the government will start from today itself," he said.

Another Congress minister Varsha Gaiakwad hoped that her experience as a minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government will be counted in assigning ministries.

"I already served in the AICC. I hope my experience in the previous government will be counted (in portfolio allocation)," she said.

Another first-timer and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said he could now work in a better manner for people.

Of the 36 newly-inducted ministers, 14 are from the NCP, 12 from the Sena while 10 belonged to the Congress.

Two members each of the Sena, NCP and the Congress had taken oath on November 28, alongside chief minister Thackeray.