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Devendra Fadnavis retains home; Eknath Shinde gets UD, housing; Ajit Pawar retains finance

Dec 22, 2024 01:25 AM IST

Maharashtra's cabinet reshuffle sees BJP retaining key ministries, while Shiv Sena and NCP secure significant portfolios; internal dynamics shift noted.

Six days after the first expansion of the state cabinet was announced, on December 15, the Mahayuti government allocated the portfolios on Saturday, the last day of the winter session of the state legislature, after receiving a nod from Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde at a Press conference at Vidhan Bhavan, in Nagpur on Saturday. (ANI)
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde at a Press conference at Vidhan Bhavan, in Nagpur on Saturday. (ANI)

BJP has retained 20 ministerial berths, Shiv Sena 12 and NCP 10 berths.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis retained home and energy departments. Of his two deputies, Eknath Shinde will head urban development, housing and public works (public enterprise) while Ajit Pawar will continue to head finance with the addition of excise department.

While the BJP has retained several key departments, of its allies, Shiv Sena bagged plum ministries – after Shinde’s prolonged parleys with the BJP -- compared to NCP.

Among the key departments, BJP has retained home, energy, revenue, public works, water resources (irrigation), rural development and tribal development. Shiv Sena has got urban development, housing, industries, public health, social justice, agriculture and MSRDC, which Shinde was keen on. NCP has managed to get finance, excise, cooperation, and women and child welfare, which is implementing the Ladki Bahin Yojna.

The allocation highlights the change within BJP’s internal dynamics. While Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, a Fadnavis aide, has been given the key revenue portfolio, other senior BJP leaders such as Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar have been allocated insignificant ones. While Vikhe-Patil, a chief ministerial aspirant, will split water resources department with Girish Mahajan, Shelar is the new cultural affairs and information technology minister.

Water resources has five region-wise corporations – while Vikhe Patil has been given Godavari and Krishna basin corporations, Mahajan has been given Vidarbha, Tapi and Konkan development corporation. Another BJP heavyweight and the party’s OBC face Pankaja Munde has been given environment and climate change, and animal husbandry.

Shivendrasinh Bhosle, a descendant of Maratha king Shivaji Mahraj, has been given the significant PWD department, while another first-time minister Jaykumar Gore has rural development, which controls rural governments.

A senior BJP functionary, who did not wish to be named, said: “The portfolio allocation shows two things – Eknath Shinde has managed to extract his pound of flesh and Fadnavis has managed to reduce the importance of seniors among BJP ministers such as Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Ashish Shelar. Instead, he has allocated key portfolios to those close to him or first-time ministers. They will form his new team within the BJP.”

State BJP vice president Madhav Bhandari however called the distribution “balanced between the three parties, as most of the departments remain with the ministers from the previous government”.

Party spokesperson Krishna Hegde however said, “We have got very significant departments like UDD, housing, school education that are directly related to the people. There are dissident voices in the party, but other leaders too will get the opportunities in the future.”

Reacting to the allocations, a Sena MLA said: “It seems all key departments that came our way were retained by Shinde and a couple of ministers close to him. Senior minister Gulabrao Patil has been given water supply, Sanjay Rathod soil and water conservation and Shambhujraj Desai tourism and mining. They are unhappy with this.”

Party spokesperson Krishna Hegde however said, “We have got very significant departments like UDD, housing, school education that are directly related to the people.”

Among other portfolios, industries department is with Uday Samant (Shiv Sena), public health with Prakash Abitkar (Shiv Sena), school education with Dadaji Bhuse (Shiv Sena), food and civil supplies, consumer protection with Dhananjay Munde (NCP), transport with Pratap Sarnaik (Shiv Sena), higher education and parliamentary affairs with Chandrakant Patil (BJP) and medical education to Hasan Mushrif (NCP).

Nitesh Rane (BJP) has been given fisheries, ports while Manikrao Kokate (NCP) gets agriculture and Jaykumar Gore (BJP) rural development. Mangalprabhat Lodha (BJP) has been allotted skill development and employment. NCP’s Narhari Zirwal has food and drug administration and special assistance

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