NCP leader Bhaskar Jadhav takes oath as Maharashtra minister

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra unit president of NCP Bhaskar Jadhav was today sworn in as a Cabinet minister in the Prithviraj Chavan-led ministry.

Governor K Sankaranarayanan administered the oath of office to Jadhav, who replaces Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare who has quit after being appointed the chief of the state NCP unit.

Jadhav is a former state minister, who was dropped a year ago and named state NCP chief. He was holding the post since June 14, 2013.

Both Jadhav and Tatkare hail from coastal Konkan. At the recent extended working committee meeting of the party, Jadhav had proposed Tatkare's name for the post of state unit chief.

The appointment of Tatkare, a prominent OBC leader, as the party's state unit chief is significant ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, which are crucial for the ruling Congress-NCP alliance in the wake of their rout in Lok Sabha polls.