Maharashtra: Those who made it to maha vikas aghadi cabinet

TEAM NCP

Ajit Pawar (60)

Constituency/ Region: Baramati (Western Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Seventh term MLA, he was deputy chief minister and also held various portfolios such as water resources, rural soil conservation development, power, finance and planning in past.

Why he matters: NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew has a major hold in the state unit organisation and amongst elected members. Although controversial, he is known as a good administrator.

Dilip Walse Patil (63)

Constituency/ Region: Ambegaon (Western Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Seventh term MLA. Served as minister for finance & planning, energy, higher and technical education, medical education in the past. Patil was also the former Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Why he matters: Amongst the most loyal and trusted aides of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Patil is known for his studious and academically inclined knowledge on legislative matters.

Anil Deshmukh (69)

Constituency/ Region: Katol (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: The five term MLA has served as minister in various portfolios, including food and civil supplies, public works (public undertaking), excise, food and drugs, school education.

Why he matters: The prominent Maratha leader is NCP’s face in Vidarbha region, where the organisation is weak.

Dhananjay Munde (44)

Dhananjay Munde

Constituency/ Region: Parli (Marathwada)

Caste Factor: Banjara

Political Career: The first-time MLA was until recently the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council.

Why he matters: A close aide of Ajit Pawar, NCP has benefited from his aggressive politics when it came to street battle.

Nawab Malik (60)

Nawab Malik

Constituency/ Region: Anushakti Nagar/ (Mumbai)/Konkan

Caste Factor: Muslim

Political Career: The fifth term MLA has held various portfolios, including housing, labour, special aid and WaQF, technical education in the past. He has been serving as the national spokesperson of the NCP for a long time.

Why he matters: Apart from representing the party’s minorities, he has earned a place in organisation for his sharpness in countering political rivals on critical subjects.

Jitendra Awhad (56)

Constituency/ region: Mumbra-Kalwa (Thane) Konkan

Caste Factor: OBC

Political Career: The third term MLA has served as a minister of state for higher technical and medical education.

Why he matters: One of the most aggressive leaders in the party, Awhad is known for street smartness to counter political rivals.

Hasan Mushrif (60)

Constituency/ Region: Kagal (Western Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Muslim

Political Career: The senior NCP leader has served as minister for labour in the Congress-NCP government in the past. He has been with the NCP since its formation in 1999. He has represented NCP in both parliament and assembly.

Why he matters: As a seasoned politician, Mushrif wields strong political network through his cooperative and education network in Kagal in Kolhapur constituency.

Rajendra Shingne (58)

Constituency/ Region: Sindhkhedraja (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Amongst the prominent faces from West Vidarbha, he is serving his fifth term as an MLA. In the past, he had been minister for health and family welfare.

Why he matters: Shingne is amongst the prominent leaders who lend political strength to the organisation in the cotton belt of Vidarbha.

Rajesh Tope (50)

Constituency: Ghansawangi (Marathwada)

Caste: Maratha

Political Career: Tope is a five-time MLA and the son of late NCP leader Ankushrao Tope. He has earlier served as minister of state in 2004 and was elevated to the post of cabinet minister in the 2009 Congress-NCP government handling the important higher and technical education department.

Why he matters: He is in charge of two important sugar cooperatives that operate in Jalna district. His decision to remain in the NCP when a number of leaders from Marathwada had deserted the party has ensured his retention as a minister by the party.

Balasaheb Patil (58)

Constituency: Karad North/ Western Maharashtra

Caste: Maratha

Political Career: Patil is a five-time MLA having won for the first time in 1999. He is a sugar baron and controls the Sahyadri Sugar Cooperative factory.

Why he matters: Patil is said to have played a key role in the defeat of Udayanraje Bhosale in the Satara Lok Sabha bypoll, which was necessitated due to Bhosale’s decision to quit the NCP for BJP. Patil is deemed to be a staunch Pawar loyalist and his inclusion in the ministry is a reward for his loyalty.

Aditi Tatkare (31)

Constituency/Region: Shrivardhan (Konkan)

Caste: OBC

Political Career: Aditi is a first-time MLA and the daughter of senior NCP MP Sunil Tatkare. She made her electoral foray in 2017 by making an entry into the Raigad Zilla Parishad.

Why she matters: Aditi is the only woman representative of the NCP in the cabinet. Her inclusion is seen as a way of safeguarding the Tatkare family’s political legacy.

Dattatray Bharne (51)

Constituency/ Region: Indapur (Western Maharashtra)

Caste: Maratha

Political Career: A two-time MLA and a sugar baron, Bharne had defeated Harshvardhan Patil, who had defected the Congress to join the BJP.

Why he matters: A close associate of Ajit Pawar, Bharne has a strong hold on the cooperative sector.

Prajakt Tanpure (43)

Constituency/ region: Rahuri (Western Maharashtra)

Caste: Maratha

Political Career: Tanpure is a first-time legislator.

Why he matters: Tanpure is the nephew of state NCP president Jayant Patil. His father Prasad has served as an NCP MP.

Sanjay Bansode (46)

Constituency/ region: Udgir (Marathwada)

Caste: Scheduled Caste

Political Career: Bansode is a first-time legislator.

Why he matters: Bansode is one of the rare Dalit faces in the NCP.

TEAM Shiv Sena

Sanjay Rathod (48)

Constituency/ Region: Digras (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: Banjara

Political Career: A fourth term legislator from Digras in Yavatmal, Rathod has been a minister of state for revenue in the previous BJP-Sena-led government.

Why he matters: His induction would help the party expand its base in the Vidarbha region.

Gulabrao Patil (53)

Constituency/ Region: Jalgaon Rural (North Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: OBC

Political Career: A fourth-term MLA, Patil hasd served as the minister of state for cooperation in the previous government.

Why he matters: He is known for his fiery speeches and raising issues of farmers. His induction will help Sena in countering the BJP in the region.

Dada Bhuse (55)

Dada Bhuse

Constituency/ Region: Malegaon Outer (North Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: A fourth-term legislator, Bhuse has previously served as the minister of state for cooperation and rural development.

Why he matters: Bhuse is one of the very few Sena leaders who enjoys the support of the Muslim community.

Sandipan Bhumare (57)

Constituency/ Region: Paithan (Marathawada)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: This is his fifth consecutive term as an MLA.

Why he matters: Bhumare is considered as one of the strongmen in the region.

Anil Parab (54)

Member of Legislative Council

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Third term as the member of Legislative Council, Parab is considered as the legal brain of the party. He was the petitioner when the Sena, NCP and Congress had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Devendra Fadnavis’s 80-hour government. Parab has also been instrumental in handling the BMC polls and enjoys good rapport with Matoshree.

Why he matters: With experience in handling BMC polls, he will play a crucial role in the upcoming civic body polls in early 2022.

Uday Samant (44)

Constituency/ Region: Ratnagiri (Konkan)

Caste Factor: Gaud Saraswat Brahmin

Political Career: A fourth-term MLA, Samant served as the chairman of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MoS rank). He switched from NCP to Sena before the 2014 assembly polls.

Why he matters: He is considered close to Thackerays and his induction will help strengthen the party’s base in Ratnagiri district.

Shankarrao Gadakh (49)

Constituency/ Region: Nevasa (Ahmednagar)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: A second-term MLA, Gadakh has good presence in local bodies.

Why he matters: Gadakh’s party, Krantikari Shetkari Paksh, extended support to Sena after the assembly results were announced.

Aaditya Thackeray (29)

Aaditya Thackeray

Constituency/ Region: Worli (Mumbai)

Caste Factor: Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu

Political Career: A first-time MLA from Worli, Aaditya is the first Thackeray to contest an election.

Why he matters: Thackeray scion was projected as party’s chief ministerial candidate in the run up to assembly polls and during his statewide Jan Ashirwad Yatra. With his father as CM, his induction is seen as a bid to groom him for government and assembly.

Abdul Sattar (54)

Constituency/Region: Sillod (Marathwada)

Caste Factor: Muslim

Political Career: A third-term MLA, Sattar has also served as a mayor and an MLC. He was a cabinet minister in the Congress-NCP government for a brief period. Ahead of the 2019 assembly polls, Sattar quit Congress to join the Shiv Sena.

Why he matters: He can become the Muslim face of the party, which has formed the common minimum programme with Congress and NCP.

Shamburaj Desai (53)

Constituency/Region: Patan (Western Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: A three-term MLA, Desai has held the post of chairman of Maharashtra Corporation Council and and has good base in the district.

Why he matters: It will help the party to strengthen its ground in cooperative sector and in the district.

Omprakash Kadu (49)

Constituency/Region: Achalpur (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: Kunabi-Maratha

Political Career: This is Kadu’s fourth term as an MLA.

Why he matters: Kadu is among the few independents who have extended support to the Shiv Sena after the assembly polls. He has been very vocal on farmers issues.

Rajendra Patil Yadravkar (50)

Constituency/ Region: Shirol (Western Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Jain

Political Career: He is a first-time MLA.

Why he matters: As an Independent, Patil Yadrawkar has also given his support to Sena after the assembly results.

TEAM CONGRESS

Ashok Chavan (61)

Ashok Chavan

Constituency/ Region: Bhokar (Marathwada)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: The senior Congress leader is a former Chief Minister, five-time legislator, and two-time MP.

Why he matters: He enjoys maximum clout among Congress MLAs. The party will bank on his political acumen to ensure it does not play third fiddle in the coalition government. After stepping down from the CM’s post in 2010 following allegations in the Adarsh Housing Society scam, he is making a comeback in the government.

Amit Deshmukh (43)

Constituency/ Region: Latur City (Marathwada)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Son of former CM (late) Vilasrao Deshmukh, this is his third time as an MLA. He has also served as a minister in past.

Why he matters: Electorally, 2019 has been a good year for the Deshmukh family. First, Amit’s younger sibling, Dheeraj, won his debut election from Latur Rural seat. Then, the Deshmukhs unseated the BJP in Latur local body polls. An established cooperative baron, Amit and his brother will be tasked with rebuilding the party’s base in Latur, once seen as a Congress bastion.

Vijay Wadettiwar (56)

Constituency/Region: Brahmapuri (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: OBC

Political Career: After starting with the NSUI, Wadettiwar had joined the Sena, before rejoining the Congress with Narayan Rane.

Why he matters: A former MoS, Wadettiwar was also the Leader of Opposition for a brief spell after Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil joined the BJP. He is the party’s most prominent face in Chandrapur, from where Congress’s sole MP from the state has been elected.

Yashomati Thakur (45)

Constituency/ Region: Teosa (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: OBC

Political Career: She has now won three assembly elections in a row. Thakur is also a working president of the Congress in the state.

Why she matters: She is the sole woman MLA from Vidarbha; the region where the Congress has done well, winning 15 out of the total 44 seats. Thakur, along with Vishwajeet Kadam and Satej Patil, was part of the younger lot in the party that had aggressively pushed for joining the Shiv Sena-led government.

Sunil Kedar (58)

Constituency/ Region: Saoner (Vidarbha)

Caste Factor: Kunbi (OBC)

Political Career: A five-term MLA, Kedar has also served as a minister in the past.

Why he matters: Son of former minister Chhatrapal Singh, Kedar is an outspoken voice in the party. A cooperative baron, Kedar holds considerable clout in the region’s local politics.

KC Padavi (61)

Constituency/ Region: Akkalkuwa (North Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Scheduled Tribe

Political Career: Padavi has now won seven consecutive Assembly elections, only state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat (eight) has won more among the current lot of MLAs.

Why he matters: In Nandurbar, an old Congress bastion, Padavi has kept party’s fortunes alive, even as defections from its own ranks have seen the BJP gain a stronger foothold.

Varsha Gaikwad (44)

Constituency/Region: Dharavi (Mumbai)

Caste Factor: Scheduled Caste

Political Career: Four-time MLA, Gaikwad, daughter of Mumbai Congress president Eknath Gaikwad, was a Cabinet minister in the Prithviraj Chavan-led state government.

Why she matters: Dharavi has always been a Congress bastion. The party has only lost two assembly elections from this constituency – in 1978 and 1995. Gaikwad and Aslam Shaikh (also inducted) are two of the four MLAs the party has in Mumbai.

Aslam Shaikh (51)

Aslam Shaikh

Constituency/Region: Malad (Mumbai)

Caste Factor: Muslim

Political Career: Three-time MLA

Why he matters: He is the party’s minority face in the government. He must count himself lucky, as just ahead of the polls there was speculation of Shaikh switching over to the BJP, prompting the Congress to hold back his nomination till the last minute.

Vishwajeet Kadam (39)

Constituency/ Region: Palus Kadegoan (Western Maharashtra)

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Son of former minister (late) Patangrao Kadam, Vishwajeet, a two-term MLA and a prominent youth face, is the youngest Congress leader in the government.

Why he matters: His family, which has a vast network of cooperative institutions, holds considerable clout in Sangli.

Satej Patil (47)

Member of Legislative Council

Caste Factor: Maratha

Political Career: Son of former Governor Dr D Y Patil, Satej was a minister of state in the Prithviraj Chavan-led state government.

Why he matters: Patil is the party’s face in Kolhapur.