Ajit Pawar Takes Oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM

MaharashtraChief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his council of ministers with NationalistCongress Party leader Ajit Pawar being sworn in as deputy chief minister andAaditya Thackeray as a minister on Monday.

The expansion of the council of ministers comes nearly a month after Uddhav Thackeray took oath along with two ministers each from the three alliance partners of Maha Vikas Aghadi- Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress. The leaders of all parties took oath as ministers today.

Otherleaders who took oath under the regime of Uddhav Thackeray's government areformer chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan, NCP leader andformer assembly speaker Dilip Walse Patil, former leader of opposition in thelegislative council Dhananjay Munde and former leader of Opposition inlegislative assembly Vijay Wadettiwar.

Nephewof NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar had earlier rebelled against his partyand took oath as deputy chief minister along with senior Bharatiya Janata Partyleader Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister.

Theoath-taking ceremony on Monday took place at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Theoath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.The ceremony was attended by senior leaders of the ruling alliance along withUddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar among others.