39 member Ashok Chavan Ministry sworn in

MUMBAI: Ashok Chavan was on Monday sworn in as Maharashtra's new Chief Minister at the head of a 39-member Congress-led coalition ministry that saw a few prominent ministers in the Vilasrao Deshmukh team being dropped and some new faces in.

Chavan(50), the Industries minister in the Deshmukh ministry, along with NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal (deputy chief minister) and others were administered oath of office by Governor S C Jamir at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

Twenty-six ministers are of Cabinet rank (17 from NCP, seven from Congress and two independents) while 13 are ministers of state.

Prominent ministers in the Vilasrao Deshmukh team, who were dropped, included Anil Deshmukh (NCP), who handled public works, Satish Chaturvedi (Cong) who held textiles and Vasant Purke (Cong) who was education minister.

The new faces in the cabinet include Surupsinh Naik (Congress), NCP's Nawab Malik, Madan Patil (independent) and Ramesh Bang (NCP). Malik had quit earlier following corruption charges by social activist Anna Hazare.

Naik resigned two years ago after being sentenced to a month's imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a contempt case.

However, political compulsions in his tribal Nandurbar district have forced Congress to reinduct him, sources said.

The ministers of state sworn in today include new faces like Nitin Raut, Suresh Warpudkar, Vijay Wadettiwar, Satish Patil, Nana Panchbuddhe and Shobha Bacchav. Wadettiwar, who represents Chimur constituency in Vidarbha, is a known supporter of rebel Congressman Narayan Rane.

Chavan, the son of former chief minister of the state and Union home minister late S B Chavan, succeeded Vilasrao Deshmukh who was eased out of office in the aftermath of the audacious Mumbai terror strikes on November 26 in which 183 people lost their lives.