In perhaps the last expansion of his ministry that he undertook ahead of the State Assembly polls due in October this year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday inducted Jitendra Awhad of the NCP as a full-fledged Minister in his Cabinet.
In a brief swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan here, Governor K. Sankaranarayanan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Awhad as Minister.Chief Minister Chavan, his deputy Ajit Pawar, State legislative Council Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh, Speaker of the Assembly Dilip Walse Patil, senior ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and R R Patil were among those present on the occasion.
With Awhad’s induction, the NCP has filled the only vacancy from its quota of 20 ministers in the State Cabinet. Awhad, who is currently NCP’s state working president, replaces Medical Education Minister Vijaykumar Gavit, who was dropped from the State Cabinet for anti during the course of the recent lok Sabha electioneering.
Gavit, it may be recalled, was sacked from the State Cabinet at the NCP’s behest, after his daughter Heena contested the Nandurbar lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket against nine-term Congress MP Manikrao Gavit and won.