The BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra announced the portfolios of ministers Saturday, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis keeping Home, a ministry that Eknath Shinde, his predecessor and now Deputy CM, was keen to have.
Fadnavis also kept Energy (excluding Renewable Energy); Law & Judiciary; General Administration Department; Information & Publicity; and Departments/ Subjects not allotted to any other minister.
Shiv Sena leader Shinde, who was eyeing Home, which Fadnavis had as Deputy CM in the previous government, got three portfolios: Urban Development; Housing; and Public Works (Public Enterprises). The other Deputy CM, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, will keep Finance & Planning, and also handle State Excise.
The portfolio allocation came hours after the weeklong Winter Session of the state Assembly concluded here. And days after the Fadnavis Government inducted 39 ministers on December 15, although with a rider — their tenure will be for two-and-half years, and their continuance will depend on a review.
Many in the ruling alliance feel while the review will fix accountability and put pressure on the ministers to perform after the impressive mandate in the recent Assembly elections, a mid-term change will also give hope to other MLAs who could not make the cut this time around.
Along with CM Fadnavis and Deputy CMs Shinde and Pawar, the total strength of the council of ministers is currently 42, one short of the permissible limit. Of the 39 ministers who took oath on December 15, as many as 19 (16 Cabinet ministers and 3 MoS) were from BJP, followed by Shiv Sena’s 11 (9 Cabinet and two MoS) and NCP’s 9 (8 Cabinet and one MoS).
BJP Ministers
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule will be the Revenue minister. The other portfolios allocated to BJP ministers are: Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Water Resources- Krishna and Godavari Valley Development corporation); Girish Mahajan (Water Resources- Vidarbha , Tapi, Konkan Development Corporation; and Disaster Management); Chandrakant Patil (Higher and Technical Education, Parliamentary affairs).
Ganesh Naik has been given Forests; Mangal Prabhat Lodha (Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation); Jaykumar Raval (Marketing and Protocol); Pankaja Munde (Environment and Climate Change, Animal Husbandry); Atul Save (OBC Welfare, Dairy Development and Renewable Energy).
BJP’ Jaykumar Rawal is the new minister for Marketing and Protocol. Ashok Uike has got Tribal Development; Ashish Shelar Cultural Affairs and Information Technology; and Shivendrasinh Bhosale Public Works.
Jaykumar Gore has been given Rural Development and Panchayati Raj; Sanjay Savkare Textiles, Nitesh Rane Fisheries and Ports; and Akash Fundkar Labour.
Shiv Sena Ministers
Shiv Sena Minister Gulabrao Patil has got Water Supply and Sanitation, a portfolio he had in the previous Shinde government. His party colleague Dadaji Bhuse will be the new School Education Minister while Sanjay Rathod will keep Soil and Water conservation.
The others are: Uday Samant (Industries and Marathi language); Shambhuraj Desai (Tourism, Mining, Ex-servicemen Welfare); Sanjay Shirsat (Social Justice); Pratap Sarnaik (Transport); Bharat Gogawale (Employment Guarantee, Horticulture, Salt Pan Lands Development); and Prakash Abitkar Public Health and Family Welfare.
NCP Ministers
Senior NCP MLA Hasan Mushrif has kept his previous Medical Education department, while former Agriculture minister Dhanjay Munde has been given Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Protection, which was handled by Chhagan Bhujbal in the previous government. Bhujbal has been dropped from the present Cabinet.
Babasaheb Patil was allocated Cooperation; Aditi Tatkare Women and Child Development; while Makarand Jadhav (Patil) is the new Relief & Rehabilitation Minister.
The others are: Dattatrey Bharne (Sports ,Youth welfare and Minority Development and Aukaf); Manikrao Kokate (Agriculture); and Narhari Zirwal (Food and Drug Administration, Special assistance).
Ministers of State
Sena’s Adv Ashish Jaiswal will handle Finance & Planning, Agriculture Relief & Rehabilitation, Law & Judiciary, Labour departments; while BJP’s Madhuri Misal got Urban Development, Transport, Social Justice, Medical Education, Minorities Development & Aukaf.
BJP’s Pankaj Bhoyar will work with Home (Rural), Housing, School Education, Co-operation, Mining; while Meghna Sakore-Bordikar will handle Public Health & Family Welfare; Water Supply & Sanitation; Energy; Women & Child Development.
NCP’s Indranil Naik is MoS for Industries; Public Works; Higher & Technical Education; Tribal Development; Tourism; Soil & Water Conservation.
Sena’s Yogesh Kadam is MoS for Home (Urban); Revenue; Rural Development & Panchayati Raj; Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Protection; Food & Drug Administration.
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