Maha Representation in Modi Cabinet: Narayan Rane, Kapil Patil Take Oath

Dr Bhagwat Karad and Dr Bharti Pawar were also inducted as Union ministers on 7 July.

State leaders such as Narayan Rane, Kapil Patil, Dr Bhagwat Karad and Dr Bharti Pawar took oaths as Union ministers on Wednesday, 7 July.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

As state Assembly elections draw nearer, the Narendra Modi government has not only paid attention to electoral states such as Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, but also inducted leaders from the state of Maharashtra.

State leaders such as Narayan Rane, Kapil Patil, Dr Bhagwat Karad and Dr Bharti Pawar took their oaths as Union ministers on Wednesday, 7 July.

Here's a more detailed look at them:

Narayan Rane

Hailing from Konkan administrative division, Rane is a former chief minister of Maharashtra, and has been a very influential leader in the state.

He entered politics with Shiv Sena, but following a rift with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Rane joined Congress.

In the Congress, Rane was never elected as CM despite continued attempts.

He went on to form the Maharashtra Swabhiman Party in 2017 but soon after its merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the leader was elected as Rajya Sabha MP on a BJP ticket.

He was also the revenue minister and industry minister in the state cabinets of Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan.

Kapil Patil

A BJP MP from the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency, Patil joined BJP after leaving the Nationalist Congress Party in 2014.

Kapil Patil belongs to Agri caste, a community that comes under Other Backward Castes (OBC) .

Patil also served as former chairman of the Thane District Cooperative Bank and Patil's induction comes ahead of the upcoming corporation elections in Mumbai's MMR region.

Dr Bhagwat Karad

A doctor by profession, Dr Karad is from the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and was mayor of Aurangabad before getting elected as a Rajya Sabha MP from BJP.

The Marathwada region is dominated by the Vanjari community, which is headed by Dr Karad.

Belonging to an OBC community, Dr Karad's appointment gains significance amid the ongoing controversy in Maharashtra over OBC reservation.

Dr Bharti Pawar

Dr Pawar, who was previously a part of NCP, is an MP representing the Dindori Lok Sabha constituency of North Maharashtra.

Pawar has made significant progress in combating malnutrition and providing clean water in her constituency.

After Eknath Khadse's induction into NCP, Dr Pawar's entry into Council of Ministers is suggestive of BJP's attempt to make gains in North Maharashtra.