In a major plot twist in Maharashtra politics, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy chief minister, along with 8 other MLAs of the party assuming roles as ministers in Eknath Shinde-led NDA government in the state.

With the recent development, the state will have two deputy chief ministers — Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The move comes just days after Pawar had publically expressed his desire to step down as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly.

Here's a list of NCP ministers who were sworn in today:

Chhagan Bhujbal:

The OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal is the Member of the 14th Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra, representing the Yeola Assembly constituency. He has served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra from October 18, 1999, to December 23, 2003. Bhujbal entered politics in 1960 by joining Shiv Sena and later joined Indian National Congress in 1991. Later, when Sharad Pawar decided to split from the Congress and establish the Nationalist Congress Party, Bhujbal allied with him. Bhujbal has served as the Minister of Public Works Department and Minister of Home Affairs in the Government of Maharashtra, throughout his political career.

Dilip Walse-Patil: The seven time member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from NCP, Dilip Walse,has held various significant ministerial positions in the Government of Maharashtra, including Minister of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Energy Ministry, Higher and Technical Education Ministry, and Medical Education Ministry, all as a Cabinet Minister from 1999 to 2009. He entered the political arena by winning the Ambegaon constituency against Kisanrao Bankhele in 1990, and since then, he has been re-elected for six consecutive terms, continuing to represent the same constituency. On April 5, 2021, Walse-Patil took charge as the Minister of Home Affairs, succeeding Anil Deshmukh, who resigned amid graft charges.

Hasan Mushrif: Hasan Mushrif, who joined took oath alongside Ajit Pawar, currently holds the position of Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the Government of Maharashtra. Mushrif represents the Kagal assembly seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He has also served as the Minister of Labour in the Maharashtra Government. In 2017, Mushrif was arrested for participating in a protest against the impact of demonetization, which involved blocking traffic on the Pune-Bengaluru national highway.

Dhananjay Munde: Dhananjay Panditrao Munde serves as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member and was appointed as a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra State Government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Munde emerged victorious in the 2019 assembly elections from the Parli constituency. He has been appointed as the Guardian Minister of Beed District and holds the portfolio of Minister of Social Justice and Special Assistance in the State of Maharashtra. Previously, Munde had served as the opposition leader in the Legislative Council of Maharashtra.

Dharmarao Atram: The NCP leader, who took oath as minister to join the Eknath Shinde-led government today is the member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elected from Aheri Constituency Assembly. He was elected to the Assembly in 2019.

Aditi Tatkare: Hailing from Roha, Aditi Sunil Tatkare, was elected as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Shrivardhan constituency on October 24, 2019. She took oath as an MLA on November 26, 2019. From 2017 to 2019, she held the position of President of Raigad Zilla Parishad. Notably, from December 30, 2019, until June 29, 2022, Tatkare served as the Minister of State in the Government of Maharashtra, overseeing several key departments including Law and Judiciary, Industries, Mining, Tourism, Horticulture, Sports and Youth Welfare, Protocol, and Information and Public Relations. Additionally, she was appointed as the Guardian Minister of Raigad District from 2020 to 2022.

Sanjay Bansode: Sanjay Baburao Bansode served as a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government from December 30, 2019, to June 29, 2022. He emerged victorious in the 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election, defeating Dr. Anil Kamble of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Bansode's political journey began in 1992 when he joined the Indian National Congress and became the regional vice-president of the Indian Youth Congress. He actively participated in the Namantar movement, traveling alongside NCP President Sharad Pawar in Marathwada. With the formation of the NCP in 1999, Bansode assumed the role of executive president for Latur district and later worked as a regional secretary. He also served as the district president of the Mahatma Phule Equality Council. As a minister, Bansode has held responsibilities in the areas of environment, water supply and sanitation, public works, employment guarantee, earthquake rehabilitation, and parliamentary affairs.

Anil Patil: Anil Bhaidas Patil is a member of the 14th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, representing Amalner (Vidhan Sabha constituency) and he belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party. He is the only elected MLA in the district belonging to Nationalist Congress Party.

First Published:Jul 2, 2023 4:22 PM IST