Maharashtra Cabinet expanded to 31 ministers

MUMBAI - Maharashtra Cabinet was expanded here today with 29 more faces being sworn in to the two-tier council of ministers, including Congress party strongmen Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam.

Cabinet Ministers Shivajirao Moghe, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Balasaheb Thorat and Harshwardhan Patil (Congress) were sworn in along with Anil Deshmukh, Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Babanrao Pachpute and Rajesh Tope (NCP).

Governor K. Sankaranarayanan administered the oath of office to the new ministers, including 19 from the Congress and 10 from the NCP.

This is the second round of swearing-in after Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were took oath a week ago.

With the name of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan cropping up in connection with the Adarsh Housing society scam, Prithviraj Chavan was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra on November 11.(ANI)