Ashok Chavan

Chief minister

The chairperson of the panel, he replaced Vilasrao Deshmukh in December after the former establishment faced flak for its inability to prevent the attacks. A science graduate and an MBA, Chavan been in active politics for the past 25 years.

Chhagan Bhujbal

Deputy chief minister

Replaced R R Patil after the change of guard. Groomed as a firebrand street fighter in the Shiv Sena, Bhujbal was a corporator, mayor and MLA. He left the Sena in 1991 annd joined the NCP.

Jayant Patil

Home minister

In the Deshmukh Cabinet he was the finance minister and had submitted a surplus budget last year. As Bhujbal was not willing to take the home portfolio (his predecessor R R Patil was the deputy CM as well as the home minister) Jayant got the job.

Ajit Pawar

Water resources minister

The nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, he is one of the most powerful politicians in Maharashtra. A commerce graduate, he controls cooperative sugar mills, banks and credit societies in west Maharashtra.

Dilip Walse-Patil

Finance minister

A protégé of Sharad Pawar, he was energy minister in the Deshmukh Cabinet and was often at the receiving end for the power crisis in the state.

Surupsingh Naik

Transport minister

The controversial tribal leader from Navapur district is one of the senior-most Congressmen in the state. He was sentenced for one month for contempt of court in 2006 for allowing illegal sawmills to function on forest land.

... contd.