Maharashtra Cabinet: 11 ministers sworn in, Sena chief skips ceremony

Two ministers from the Shiv Sena also took oath, but sources say Sena was reluctant to join the Cabinet.

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded his cabinet on Friday, with 11 ministers, including 10 new faces taking oath at the swearing-in ceremony held in Mumbai.

While two leaders from the Shiv Sena party got Cabinet berths, party chief Uddhav Thackeray did not attend the ceremony. Shiv Sena had earlier expressed its unhappiness at being ignored in the Narendra Modi Cabinet expansion and reshuffle.

According to sources, Thackeray has asked for the elevation of a minister of state to a Cabinet minister for which Mr Fadnavis is not ready. However, in a late night development on Thursday, the Chief Minister assured Shiv Sena that it would get the home department portfolio.

Senior Shiv Sena ministers Diwakar Raote and Subhash Desai had met Mr Fadnavis and Mr Thackeray separately. A stormy meeting of party legislators was held at Matoshree (Uddhav's residence), at which it was decided that they would participate in the Cabinet expansion. Sources said that several legislators were opposed to joining the Cabinet.

They cited that the party was insulted by BJP president Amit Shah before the Union Cabinet expansion. However, their voices were drowned out by the party ministers. The ministers succeeded in convincing Mr Thackeray to accept the chief minister’s offer.

The portfolios were rendered vacant after the resignation of senior minister Eknath Khadse over corruption charges last month.