Chandrashekhar Bawankule appointed BJP Maharashtra Chief, Ashish Shelar Mumbai President

The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Chandrashekhar Bawankule as its Maharashtra unit president and Vandre West Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) MLA Ashish Shelar as its Mumbai unit chief.

"Bharatiya Janata Party national President Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Chandrashekhar Bawankule as Maharashtra unit president. Ashish Shelar has been appointed as Mumbai unit president. In an official press release, this appointment will come into force with immediate effect," the saffron party said.

Bawankule replaces Chandrakant Patil

Bawankule, an OBC by caste replaced Chandrakant Patil, a Maratha, as he became the Minister in the newly sworn cabinet of the BJP-ShivSena government.

Similarly, Shelar, who is also a Maratha by caste replaced Mangal Prabhat Lodha as the Mumbai unit president. Lodha was also inducted into the Cabinet of the Shinde-Fadnavis government. 

Chandrashekhar Bawankule has represented Kamthi Assembly in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms (2004, 2009 and 2014). In January this year, he was elected to the Legislative Council. He had joined BJP in 1995 under the leadership of the late Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari.

Ashish Shelar has represented Vandre West twice (2014 and 2019). In 2015, he was elected as Vice President of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

BJP's Fadnavis may get Home, Vijaykumar Gavit Tribal Development portfolio.

After expanding the Maharashtra cabinet, the BJP-Shiv Sena government will soon allocate portfolios. According to PTI sources, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will get the Home ministry. Dr Vijaykumar Gavit is likely to get a Tribal Development portfolio.

Sources further informed that Sudhi Mungantiwar may get a key portfolio while Chandrakant Patil mat lad a plum portfolio. Some revel Shiv Sena MLAs are also likely to get some important portfolios.