Thackeray inducts son, 35 others; Ajit Pawar sworn in Dy CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday expanded his over a month-old ministry by inducting 36 ministers, including his 29-year-old son Aaditya, while NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered oath to 14 ministers from NCP, 10 from Congress and 12 from Shiv Sena at Vidhan Bhavan (state legislature) premises in south Mumbai.

The expansion, which raised the strength of the state ministry to 43, came over a month after the Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government came to power.

The 36 ministers sworn in on Monday include 10 Cabinet and four ministers of state of the NCP, eight Cabinet and four MoS of Shiv Sena, and eight Cabinet and two MoS of Congress.

The NCP now has 12 Cabinet ministers and four MoS, the Shiv Sena has 10 Cabinet ministers and four MoS while Congress has 10 Cabinet ministers and two MoS.

Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister, while former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray were among the Cabinet ministers who took oath.

Pawar was sworn in to the post for the second time in just over a month.

Pawar had taken oath as deputy CM on November 23 after he rebelled against the NCP and joined hands with the BJP. However, he resigned on November 26, leading to collapse of the three-day Devendra Fadnavis government.

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan did not find place in Thackeray's ministry. There is speculation that he may lead the state Congress unit.

BJP leaders - and Sena MP Sanjay Raut - skipped the ministry expansion ceremony.

"This government has not fulfilled the expectations of Maharashtra's farmers. We don't feel like attending the ceremony," a BJP leader said.

Another BJP leader said, "When Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in at Shivaji Park last month, state BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, were present. There is no need to attend every cabinet expansion ceremony."