Leaders with family legacy find place in Maha ministry

Amid the eternal debate over dynastic politics in India, the newly expanded Maharashtra council of ministers has several leaders from political families.

Yuva Sena head Aaditya Thackeray, who is the son of Shiv Sena president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, was on Monday sworn in as Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The 29-year-old leader is a first-term MLA from Worli seat in Mumbai.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who also took oath as Cabinet minister, is the son of former chief minister late Shankarrao Chavan.

Ashok Chavan was also chief minister from 2008 to 2010 of the then Congress-NCP state government.

Besides, NCP MLA Aditi Tatkare, who took oath as minister of state (MoS) in the Thackeray-led government, is the daughter of NCP's Raigad Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare, who was irrigation and finance minister in the previous Congress-NCP government.

Aditi Tatkare is an MLA from Srivardhan seat in Raigad district.

Congress leader Amit Deshmukh also carried on his family legacy as he was inducted into state Cabinet on Monday.

The three-term MLA from Latur city is the son of former chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Another Congress leader Vishwajit Kadam, who took oath as MoS, is the son of party leader late Patangrao Kadam.

Besides, Krantikari Shetkari Paksh leader Shankarrao Gadakh, who was inducted as Cabinet minister, is the son of former NCP leader Yaswantrao Gadakh.

Shankarrao Gadakh, who was earlier an NCP MLA, quit the Sharad Pawar-led party in 2014 and formed his own outfit in 2017.

His outfit is now an ally of the ruling Shiv Sena.