Former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil; Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar; former cabinet minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar; Vidarbha legislators Dr. Sanjay Kute; Sangli MLA Suresh Dagadu Khade; Dr. Anil Bonde; Dr. Ashok Uike; and Tanaji Sawant took oath as Ministers in the Maharashtra Cabinet at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
On the other hand, Yogesh Sagar, Dr. Avinash Mahtekar, Sanjay Vishwanath Bhegade, Parinay Fuke, MLA from Bhandara-Gondia; Atul Moreshwar Save, MLA from Aurangabad east took oath as a Minister of State.
The Cabinet expansion comes a day before the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature, the last before Assembly polls later this year, begins. The leaders were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor C.V. Rao at a function in Raj Bhavan at 11am today. In the last few days, both Fadnavis and state's Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had given enough indications about the cabinet expansion.
Earlier, on Friday night, Fadnavis had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and discussed about the ministers to be inducted in his cabinet. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) on Saturday announced that its leader Avinash Mahatekar will be inducted into the Fadnavis government in Sunday's expansion.
Up till now, there were 37 ministers including the Chief Minister, and Fadnavis could accommodate another five. A vacancy was created in 2018 when BJP's Pandurang Fundkar died, the then agriculture minister.
(with inputs from agencies)