This Article is From Nov 07, 2009

Chavan sworn in as Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: After the struggle over power sharing in Maharashtra ended, the swearing ceremony of the new cabinet finally took place in Mumbai on Saturday.

Congress leader Ashok Chavan has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra while NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal has taken oath as his deputy.

In all 37 of the 43 ministers are taking oath in the ceremony along with Chavan.

This comes a day after Chavan staked claim to form the Maharashtra government in a meeting with the state Governor.

According to the deal between the Congress and the NCP, the former will keep 23 ministries including the Chief Minister's post and the NCP 20.

The NCP will retain key ministries - home, finance and power. It also retains rural development ministry, which the Congress had really been pushing for. The Congress has got the relatively minor public health portfolio from the NCP.

PTI adds:

Former ministers R R Patil, Rajendra Darda, Laxmanrao Dhoble, Anil Deshmukh and Jaidutt Kshirsagar have made a come back into the new cabinet ministers but a number of cabinet ministers in the previous ministry have been dropped including Vijaysinh-Mohite Patil, Surupsinh Naik and Dilip Walse Patil.

Anees Ahmed, Vimal Mundada, Chandrakant Handore, Nawab Malik, Vinay Kore, Rajendra Shingane, Raviseth Patil, Madan Patil, Rameshchandra Bang and Dilip Deshmukh also did not find a place in the ministry this time.

Ministers of state in the previous government Naseem Khan, Suresh Shetty and Hasan Mushrif were elevated to cabinet rank.

Chavan and 26 other cabinet ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor S C Jamir at the Raj Bhawan lawns.
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