NEW DELHI: All of the new ministers who took their oaths as ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday have been congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Eknath Shinde government expanded the state Cabinet by 18 members on Tuesday. Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister, and Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari were present for the swearing-in event, which was held in Mumbai's Raj Bhavan.

Among those appointed to the state Cabinet are Uday Samant, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and BJP state president Chandrakant Patil. Meanwhile, the induction of Sanjay Rathod was opposed by state BJP vice president, Chitra Wagh. 

Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet, "Congratulations to everyone who took the oath of office today to become a minister in the Maharashtra government. This team is a great blend of administrative skill and the passion to deliver good governance. My best wishes to all  for serving the people of the state." "The team of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was expanded with the induction of 18 new ministers on Tuesday, August 8.

After taking over on June 30 following the fall of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde has inducted nine ministers from his party and an equal number from the ally Bharatiya Janata Party in an effort to strike a balance. This comes after more than 40 days.

Maharashtra cabinet expansion: 14 ministers likely to take oath today

Maharashtra cabinet expansion likely on Tuesday, Aug 9

After Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde surprised NCP, big blow to this leader