Sena gets home ministry; NCP finance; revenue for Congress

Two weeks after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and six ministers were sworn in on November 28, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government announced the allocation

Two weeks after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and six ministers were sworn in on November 28, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government announced the allocation of portfolios on Thursday.

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Thackeray has not retained any portfolio, although he may keep a few portfolios such as general administration and Marathi language. Among the key portfolios, the Shiv Sena got home and urban development departments, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) bagged finance, cooperation and housing. Revenue, energy and public works departments are with the Congress. The ministers said some changes are likely in the allocations between the three parties.

The NCP has bagged 16 ministerial berths, while the Shiv Sena got 15 and the Congress 12. The NCP is believed to have settled for an additional department in lieu for the home department.

Senior Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde has been given home, urban development, environment and water supply, along with six other departments. His party colleague and former minister, Subhash Desai, will handle industries, agriculture, higher and technical education, transport and eight other departments.

NCP leader and legislative party leader of the party Jayant Patil has been given finance, housing, public health, cooperation, with four other departments. His party colleague and former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal has been given rural development, water resources and social justice department, with four other portfolios.

Congress’s state unit chief and party’s legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat will handle revenue, power, medical education, school education minister, along with three other departments. Congress’s second minister Nitin Raut is in-charge of public works department, tribal development, women and child welfare, textiles, along with other two departments.

“This is a temporary arrangement for 10-12 days until the next cabinet expansion. Changes and exchange of portfolios between parties are expected after the expansion,” said Chhagan Bhujbal.

There is a possibility of exchange of the home and housing or agriculture departments between the Sena and NCP, as the latter is insisting on the home department, which also delayed the expansion. “We are happy with the allocation. We never insisted on any particular department as our primary aim was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) outside power. I think the allocation of major departments, including home, between the three parties has been finalised,” Jayant Patil told HT.

The list of portfolios allocated was announced after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari gave his nod to the allocation on Thursday afternoon.

A Congress leader said, “Party leadership wanted to have portfolios such as revenue, medical education, school education, which are directly related to people. We have succeeded in bagging them.”