Maharashtra Cabinet expansion: NCP ministers given portfolios, Ajit Pawar gets finance

Around a fortnight after the NCP joined the government, the Ajit Pawar-led group managed to secure good portfolios which had direct contact with the public.

Pawar, the new Deputy Chief Minister, got the Finance and Planning portfolio, which was earlier with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde holds a dozen portfolios including General Administration, Urban Development, Information Technology, Information and Publicity, Social Justice, Transport, Environment and Climate Change, and Mining.

Fadnavis would continue to hold the Home, Law and Judiciary, Protocol, Water Resources and Command Area Development and Energy.

In fact, the Shiv Sena was concerned over Pawar getting Finance as jn June 2022 when they rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government that had cited the NCP leader’s working style as one of the reasons.

Also Read: BJP's alliance with Sena is emotional, that with NCP political: Fadnavis

Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP) has got the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, the ministry that he ran during the MVA regime when Covid-19 was sweeping the state.

Dhananjay Munde (NCP), who is close to Pawar, has got the Agriculture portfolio, which was earlier with Shiv Sena.

Dilip Walse-Patil (NCP), who is a former Speaker, has been given the important Cooperation ministry.

Hasan Müsrif (NCP), a political heavyweight from Kolhapur has got two portfolios - Medical Education and Special Assistance.

Dharmaraobaba Atram (NCP), who is a Gadchiroli, gets the Food and Drugs Administration.

Aditi Tatkare (NCP), daughter of Raigad MP and state NCP President Sunil Tatkare - the lone lady in the Cabinet got the Women and Child Development ministry.