Newly-elected Pune MP Murldihar Mohol on Sunday took oath as union minister in Delhi at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
He is the 5th union minster from Pune. Till now, the city has sent four union ministers from here - NV Gadgil, Mohan Dharia, VN Gadgil, Suresh Kalmadi, besides a High Commissioner to the UK, NG Goray.
Mohol is a close confidant of state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Mohol is a first-time MP. The BJP won the Pune Lok Sabha seat for the third consecutive time as he defeated Congress' Ravindra Dhangekar by more than 1.23 lakh votes.
Earlier this morning, speaking to the media in Delhi after the meeting, Mohol said that hewas at the Prime Minister’s residence after getting a call asking to be present for the oath-taking ceremony. He expressed the gratitude to the party for giving him such a big responsibility.
The MP said that he was at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi when he got a call from party president JP Nadda at around 9am. "I didn’t expect any such responsibility," he added.
Mohol, a former Pune Mayor, served as the saffron party's election in-charge for the Pune Lok Sabha seat.
Mohol's close association with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule likely played a role in the decision to nominate him.
He started his political career in the BJP three decades ago. He was elected to the civic body and was also mayor of the city.
