Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SHP)

Mumbai, Dec 30: Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar was on Monday, December 30, sworn in as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister for the second time in two months - this time as part of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition government (Maha Vikas Aghadi) as chief minister Uddhav Thackeray finally expanded his Cabinet. 

He became the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a record fourth time, here on Monday.

As many as 35 ministers were inducted into the Cabinet including his son Aditya, comprising 25 of Cabinet and 10 of Minister of State rank.

Aditya Thackeray has been made a Cabinet minister along with other Maha Vikas Aghadi heavyweights like former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, ex-Leader of Opposition in Council Dhananjay Munde, ex-Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil, and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

The Cabinet has three women: NCP's Aditi Tatkare (MoS) and Congress' Varsha Gaikwad and Yashomati Thakur, both Cabinet rank - though the Sena has no woman nominee.

For the first since 2014, the ministry has a four Muslims - Shiv Sena's Abdul Sattar Nabi (MoS), NCP's Malik and Hasan Mushrif, and Congress' Aslam Shaikh, all Cabinet rank.

Other big names include Anil Parab, Vijay Wadettiwar, Jitendra Awhad, Anil Deshmukh, Amit Vilasrao Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, and MoS Satej Patil, Vishwajeet Kadam and Bachu Kadu.

The new ministers were sworn-in by Governor B.S. Koshyari at the Maharashtra Legislature Complex, Nariman Point.

Since six ministers took the oath on November 28 along with Thackeray, today's expansion has taken the strength of his ministry to 41, plus the Chief Minister.

In November, Pawar tried to join hands with Former CM Devendra Fadnavis of BJP, who appointed him as deputy chief minister of the state as well. However, that government lasted for only 80 hours, prompting him to return to the Sharad Pawar-led party.