Mumbai, June 16: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded his Council of Ministers on Sunday. While 13 new ministers, including 8 of Cabinet rank, took oath of office, six ministers were dropped from Council of Ministers. Governor P Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at Raj Bhawan. Congress turncoat Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was sworn-in as a Cabinet minister.

Besides Aashish Shelar, Sanjay Kute, Suresh Bhau Khade, Anil Bonde and Ashok Uike of Bharatiya Janata Party, Jaidatta Kshirsagar and Tanaji Sawant of Shiv Sena also took oath as Cabinet ministers. BJP leaders Yogesh Sagar, Sanjay Bhegde, Parinay Fuke and Atul Save, besides Avinash Mahtekar of RPI, were sworn-in as ministers of state. Maharashtra Cabinet Approves Ordinance for Quota in PG Medical Courses.

According to an official in the Chief Minister’s Office, Prakash Mehta, Rajkumar Badole, Vishnu Sawra, Dilip Kamble, Praveen Pote and Amrish Atram quit their posts. Mehta, who held the Housing portfolio, had courted controversy over a slum redevelopment project. Although the project was halted and the decision overruled by Devendra Fadnavis, the entire matter was investigated. Maharashtra Cabinet Approves Rs 100 Crore for Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial.

With this, on the eve of the Maharashtra Assembly's monsoon session starting here on Monday, Fadnavis has consolidated the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena's position before the upcoming elections. (With agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2019 03:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).