Uddhav Thackeray to be sworn in today likely with 6 ministers drawn from 3 parties

Shiv Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray will take oath as chief minister of Maharashtra this evening. Alongside him, Eknath Shinde from Shiv Sena, Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal from Nationalist Congress Party and Balasaheb Thorat and K C Padvi from Congress will be sworn in as well at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Subhash Desai could be another minister from the Sena.

After it was decided that two members each from the three parties forming the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (Maharashtra Development Front) will take oath at the grand swearing in, the names were finalised on Wednesday night. The parties have considered seniority while finalising the names for the first lot of cabinet composition.

Uddhav Thackeray becomes the first leader from Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) community to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. The first lot of ministers heavily represents the Maratha community such as Eknath Shinde, Balasaheb Thorat and Jayant Pati. Chhagan Bhujbal, represents Other Backward Classes while Padvi is a tribal leader.

The three party alliance boasts of two former chief ministers (Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan), two former deputy chief ministers (Chhagan Bhujbal, Ajit Pawar) and lot of former ministers, including a few from the erstwhile Fadnavis government.

State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat is an eight-term MLA from Sangamner. Thorat, 66, was minister in successive governments from 1999 to 2014. He was revenue minister in Prithviraj Chavan-led government.

Former deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujabal (72) is an MLA from Yeola in Nashik. Bhujbal was jailed for more than two years until May 2018 in a money laundering case. He defected Shiv Sena in 1991 to join Congress apparently because he was denied the post of leader of opposition. Bhujbal has served as ministers of many departments from 1999 to 2014 in Congress-led governments. His party colleague Jayant Patil (57) is former finance and home minister and a trusted lieutenant of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. State unit chief of the party, Patil was made legislative party leader after Ajit Pawar revolted last week.

Desai, 77, is the senior most legislator to be sworn in today. Industries minister in erstwhile Fadnavis government, Desai was elected as an MLA thrice and is serving his second term as a member of the legislative council.