Team News Riveting
New Delhi, July 8
Danve Raosaheb Dadarao today took over as the Minister of State (MoS) for Coal and Mines.
Besides coal and mines, he will be holding the additional portfolio of Minister of State for Railways.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi extended his best wishes to Danve Raosaheb Dadarao on assuming charge today. Coal Secretary Anil Kumar Jain, Mines Secretary Alok Tandon and senior officers of both the ministries were present on the occasion.
In the last 30 years, from a Sarpanch to a Member of Parliament and later a Minister of State, Raosaheb has held various leadership positions. Earlier, he was a general secretary of Maharashtra BJP, and twice the vice president.
Danve has created a niche for himself in the political landscape of Maharashtra as a leader with rural roots. He started his journey as a Sarpanch, and later became an MLA in 1990, 1995 from Bhokardan assembly constituency. He has been elected as Member of Parliament for five consecutive times from 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.
During the general elections that were held in May 2014, Raosaheb Danve-Patil won the Jalna constituency for the fourth time. Immediately afterwards, he was inducted in the Narendra Modi Cabinet as the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; the position he held till March 2015.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra assembly elections were held in October 2014. BJP came to power and Devendra Fadnavis became the first BJP Chief Minister of Maharashtra. When Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the President of Maharashtra BJP, Raosaheb Danve indicated to the party leadership that he was willing to resign as a union minister and work for the organisation.
In January 2015, he was appointed as the President of Maharashtra BJP. Raosaheb Danve is only the second person in Maharashtra BJP to hold this office while also being a Member of Parliament. Earlier, late Suryabhan Vahadane-Patil had successfully carried the dual responsibility.