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Maharashtra: Meet your ministers

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A Hindutva rabble-rouser from Malegaon, a descendant of legendary warrior queen Ahilyabai Holkar, the scion of the tribal royal family from Gadchiroli, a karate black belt, and a Shiv Sena leader who has taken on the Pawars in their backyard — these are some of the faces inducted in the Maharashtra council of ministers on Friday.

Diwakar Raote

The hardcore Shiv Sainik from Dadar has been associated with the party right from the day it was formed at late party supremo Bal Thackeray's Ranade Road residence in 1966. After Chhagan Bhujbal quit the Sena, the upfront Raote, a former Mumbai mayor, helped expand its base in rural areas and began the kapus dindi (a procession of cotton producers for remunerative prices).

Girish Mahajan

Mahajan, who represents Jamner in Jalgaon, began his career as a sarpanch and has been an MLA since 1995. The black belt in karate is said to have beaten up a BJP MP on a train after the latter abused an old man. Mahajan is also known to help patients from his constituency get medical treatment in hospitals, including those in Mumbai.

Dr Ranjit Patil

The orthopaedic surgeon from Akola defeated veteran MLC BT 'Bhau' Deshmukh from the Amravati graduates constituency in 2010. He runs a hospital in Akola.

Dadaji Bhuse

The engineering diploma holder defeated local stalwart Prashant Hiray from Dabhadi (now Malegaon outer) in 2004, in the aftermath of the 2001 Malegaon riots, as an independent and repeated his win twice as a Sena man. The Hindutva rabble-rouser from the communally polarised textile town in Nashik district, was inspired by Thane Sena strongman Anand Dighe and had started an organisation 'Janata Raja'.

Vijaykumar Deshmukh

A three-term BJP MLA from Solapur, Deshmukh belongs to the influential Lingayat community. Called "Malak" (owner) by his supporters, he won by 70,000 votes against former MLA Vishwanath Chakote.

Prof Ram Shinde

The second-term MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar is related to legendary 18th century warrior-queen Ahilyadevi Holkar and belongs to her native place of Chondi in Ahmednagar. An MSC in Botany, he is from the dhangar (shepherd) community and began his career as a youth activist and sarpanch.

Deepak Kesarkar

The NCP MLA from Sawantwadi in Sindhudurg successfully supported Shiv Sena's Vinayak Raut against then industries minister Narayan Rane's son and Congress MP Nilesh Rane and joined the party later. He has been chosen over Vaibhav Naik, who emerged as giant killer by trouncing Rane Sr from Kudal.

Sanjay Rathod

The 42-year-old belongs to the Banjara community and is one of the two Sena nominees to hold their own during the BJP wave in Vidarbha. He is a three-term MLA from Digras in Yavatmal.

Vijay Shivtare

The former NCP man and businessman was elected from Purandar in Pune in 2009 and has taken on the Pawar family and the NCP in their backyard. Purandar, which has the samadhi of Sant Sopandeo, the younger brother of bhakti Sant Dnyaneshwar, was earlier a stronghold of senior Janata Dal leader Dada Jadhavrao.

Raje Ambrishrao Atram

The scion of the Gond tribal royal family of Aheri in Naxalite-infested Gadchiroli won his maiden battle against uncle and former minister Dharmaraobaba Atram. The foreign-educated Ambrishrao's grandfather Raje Vishweshwarrao and father Raje Satyawanrao were leaders of the Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti, and he is a proponent of a separate state of Vidarbha.

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