Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle sees 13 new faces

Ashish Shelar

As was expected, the BJP has dropped controversial and under-performing ministers from the Cabinet and inducted 13 new faces, including two from the Shiv Sena. In the long-winded exercise, two new faces are from Mumbai - Ashish Shelar (city BJP chief) who was made school education minister, and Yogesh Sagar (Charkop legislator), who was inducted as a minister of state (MoS) and made deputy to the chief minister in the urban development department. Vinod Tawde retains the higher and technical education portfolio. In all, 13 ministers of senior and junior rank were sworn in at Raj Bhavan on Sunday.

From BJP, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (housing), Suresh Khade (social justice) Anil Bonde (agriculture), Sanjay Kute (labour) and Ashok Uike (tribal development) were made Cabinet ministers. CM Devendra Fadnavis's close aide Parinay Fukey, Atul Save, Bala Bhehde and Sagar were made junior ministers.

Ally Republican Party of India general secretary Avinash Mahatekar was inducted as a junior minister in the social justice department. As promised, Sena gave Jaidutt Kshirsagar, a former NCP neta, a cabinet berth. He was given the non-significant employment guarantee portfolio. Sena'a upper house member Tanaji Sawant, too, made it to the Cabinet rank and was given the water conservation department.

Prakash Mehta (housing) and Dilip Kamble (MoS social justice) had to go because of corruption allegation. Rajkumar Badole (social justice minister) and Vishnu Savra (tribal development) were also dropped, the former for underperformance and the latter for health reasons. However, Mumbai's minister of state Vidya Thakur managed to survive because of the need for social engineering as she belongs to the north Indian community, but another MoS, Ambarish Atram, who was hardly seen in the Mantralaya or Legislature during his tenure, was sent packing.

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