Kothrud MLA Chandrakant Patil, Parvati MLA Madhuri Misal Take Oath As Ministers

There was widespread celebration at Parvati area in Pune on Sunday as traders in Gultekdi market and residents of the Parvati Assembly constituency came together to celebrate as MLA Madhuri Misal took oath as a minister in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ cabinet.

Celebrations were also held in Kothrud, where MLA Chandrakant Patil took the oath of office alongside Parvati MLA Madhuri Misal and Indapur MLA Dattatray Vithoba Bharane.

Arun Veer, President of the Phul Bajar Adate Association, and Coordinator Sagar Bhosale, expressed their joy by engaging with transporters, buyers, and other market participants. Gultekdi Market Yard, which falls under the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)—the largest market committee in Asia—includes a wide range of markets such as vegetable, fruit, flower, jaggery, and banana markets. Located in the Parvati Assembly constituency, the market plays a key role in the region. Veer expressed optimism that with MLA Misal’s new ministerial role, long-standing issues faced by the market would be resolved, bringing much-needed improvements for the vendors and other stakeholders.

“Our government has always respected women… Whatever responsibility the party gives me, I will fulfill it,” said Misal in a statement to the media in Nagpur.

Who is Madhuri Misal?

Madhuri Satish Misal, born on January 17, 1975, in Bibwewadi, Pune, hails from a family with strong ties to the freedom movement, being the granddaughter of freedom fighter Keshavrao Deshpande. Her husband, Satish Misal, a prominent BJP leader, was tragically shot dead in his car by members of Chhota Rajan’s gang on February 28, 2003, at Puram Chowk on Tilak Road.

Misal made history as the first woman to head the Pune unit of the BJP and was elected as a corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 2007. She later became the first woman MLA from Pune city, winning her seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2009. Misal was re-elected in 2014, 2019, and again in 2024, solidifying her strong political presence in Maharashtra.

She holds a B.Com degree from Pune University’s Modern College (1984) and an SSC from Maharashtra State Board’s Aadarsh College (1979).

In the 2024 election, Madhuri Misal (BJP) secured 1,18,193 votes, defeating Ashwini Kadam (NCP-SP), who garnered 63,533 votes. In the 2019 election, Misal had won with 97,012 votes.

The cabinet expansion follows more than two weeks after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with his two deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took the oath of office on December 5. The Mahayuti alliance had faced criticism from the opposition for delaying the cabinet formation despite holding a commanding majority.

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election saw the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieve a decisive victory, securing 235 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made significant gains, securing 57 and 41 seats, respectively.