Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant to be inducted in Modi ministry

Arvind Sawant

Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South, will be sworn in as Union minister on Thursday, a senior party leader said.

He will replace Anant Geete, the lone Sena minister in the previous Narendra Modi-led government, who lost from the Raigad Lok Sabha seat in last month's election, the leader said on Wednesday.

Sawant, 68, who retained his seat by defeating Congress' Milind Deora by 1,00,067 votes, has been associated with the Shiv Sena since the party's early years. He worked as an engineer with Mahanagar Telephone Network Ltd (MTNL) till 1995 and took voluntary retirement after he was nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from governor's quota when Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power in 1995.

He was elected as MLC from the Mumbai Local bodies constituency. He contested the Lok Sabha election for the first time in 2014, defeating Deora, then an MP, from the Mumbai South seat by 1,28,564 votes.

Sawant is a deputy leader of the Shiv Sena, and also president of the MTNL trade union.

On the eve of his swearing-in for a second term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a marathon meeting with BJP president Amit Shah as he gave final touches to the shape of his government, which is likely to have representation from most allies and showcase the party's newfound strength in different regions.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's decision to opt out on health grounds has fuelled speculation about who will get the coveted portfolio with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who filled in for Jaitley and presented the populist pre-election budget, being seen as a key contender.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies