Chavan may induct new faces in cabinet

Maharashtra Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is likely to induct new faces in his day-old ministry, with Congress sources expecting that half of them could be from their party.

"Going by his reputation and his announcement of having a team with clean image, there are indications that several of the 23 Congress ministers in the Ashok Chavan regime will be dropped," sources said. Congress had 23 ministers and ally Nationalist Congress Party had 20 members in the outgoing 43-member ministry.

Ten NCP ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, were sworn in along with Chavan on Thursday. However, no other Congress minister took oath, leading to speculations about a major overhaul of the ministry. Chavan is expected to leave for Delhi hold discussions on formation of the Congress ministerial list, they said. That the former Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, chose not to include even stalwarts like Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam in Thursday's ceremony is an indication that the Congress list, which may include these two leaders, may throw

many a surprise, the sources said. The sources said inclusion of more ministers and also portfolio allocation would be completed in the next couple of days.

Chavan may also surrender the flat in Wadala which he was alloted through the MP quota. Sources close to the CM, while reacting to reports in a section of the media that he got a flat from the Chief Minister's quota which was meant for the poor, said the flat in Wadala was alloted in the name of Chavan's mother Premlabai Chavan in 2003 since she had to be in the city for her cancer treatment. "But before the allotment process was completed, she passed away. Since, Chavan has always lived in Delhi, he never felt the need to have a house in Mumbai. However,the Wadala flat was then given in the name of Chavan himself in his capacity as a member of Parliament," sources said.

Sources said that Chavan is planning to take a decision regarding the flat soon indicating that he may surrender it. Media reports alleged that Chavan was alloted a flat reserved for the weaker section through the Chief Minister's five per cent housing quota.