WATCH: "Will try to improve on the work started by the Chief Minister," says newly-inducted Maharashtra cabinet minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil

After being sworn-in as a cabinet Minister in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Sunday, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has expressed his gratitude to CM Devendra Fadnavis for including him in the expanded cabinet.  

"I am happy that Maharashtra Chief Minister considered me capable to be a part of the Maharashtra Cabinet. As the cabinet is new, we will do good work," he said.

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When asked about his the juxtaposition of working with the government he opposed as the former Leader of Opposition, he said that the issues he raised regarding farmers and backward class communities were being addressed well by the administration and that he would to improve on the existing work in progress.

"According to my role as Leader of Opposition, I had raised issues affecting the farmer community, the backward community. I had no other agenda in mind. Government is taking very good steps and key decisions in addressing these issues. Accordingly, the people have their mandate to them (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections. I will try to improve on the existing work in progress started by the Chief Minister," he added.

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Addressing queries on the short duration left in the present administration before polls being held in October, he said that irrespective of the government, he would always work for social welfare.

"Government is a continuous process. The work done by the present government has been in the sight of the people for the past 4.5 years. People will be benefitted if we can strongly take ahead the work done by this government. Irrespective of who forms the next government (in October 2019), the government has always worked for social welfare. That is the priority of this government too. Hence, I have no objections whether only 90 or 60 days are left, " he said.

Speaking about his inclusion in the cabinet he said that was solely decided by the Chief Minister.

"The decision to appoint new cabinet ministers or to remove cabinet ministers lies with the Chief Minister. So this expansion is also according to his decision," he added.

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Earlier in the day, Radhakrishna Vikhe along with 12 other leaders, on Sunday, took oath as ministers into the expanded Maharashtra Cabinet in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other ministers, as per sources.

Apart from the newly inducted cabinet ministers, sources further report that six ministers were dropped from the current cabinet: Vishnu Savra, Rajkumar Badole, Raj Atram, Dilip Kamble, Pravin Pote and Prakash Mehta.   

Previously on June 4, Patil, had officially resigned as Congress MLA from Maharashtra's Shirdi constituency. He had submitted his resignation to Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. Along with him, other Congress leaders namely Abdul Sattar, Kalidas Kolambkar and Jaykumar Gore have also resigned from their posts as MLAs, according to sources.