Maharashtra bonanza: Six MPs from state to be sworn in

It is going to be a bonanza for BJP and Shiv Sena MPs from Maharashtra as several of them will be part of the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.

Veteran BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyal, Suresh Prabhu and newly-elected MP from Dindori Bharati Pawar are tipped off to be ministers in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet. Meanwhile, Arvind Sawant, the Sena MP from south Mumbai, who for the second time defeated Congress nominee and former union minister Milind Deora, will also be inducted as a Cabinet minister.

Sawant worked as an engineer with Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) till 1995 and took voluntary retirement after he was nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the governor's quota during the Shiv Sena-BJP tenure in 1995. Sawant is a deputy leader of the Shiv Sena, and also president of the MTNL trade union.

Gadkari, who was Union minister of roads, highways, surface transport, shipping and Ganga rejuvenation, was elected for a second consecutive term from Nagpur constituency, defeating the Congress nominee Nana Patole. Javadekar, who was holding human resources development ministry, was elected to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra and his term ends in April 2024. Goyal, meanwhile, is elected from Maharashtra to the upper house and had held portfolios of power, renewable energy, coal and railways. His term ends in July 2022.

Suresh Prabhu, who was minister of industries and civil aviation, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh and his term is up to June 2022. Before joining BJP, Prabhu was elected to Lok Sabha from Sindhudurg constituency. Bharati Pawar had crossed over to BJP leaving the NCP ahead of Lok Sabha election. She was elected from the Dindori seat reserved for scheduled tribe on BJP ticket.