Shiv Sena may get home, NCP likely to get finance portfolio in Maharashtra

Owing to the differences within NCP over the deputy chief ministership in the backdrop of the failed revolt by party leader Ajit Pawar, the expansion of the cabinet has been postponed to month-end.

The allocation of portfolios for the Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is expected to be announced soon. The leaders of three parties held a meeting on Tuesday over portfolio allocation.

The Shiv Sena may get home and urban development, while NCP is likely to bag finance and housing. (AP)

The Shiv Sena may get home and urban development, while NCP is likely to bag finance and housing. The Congress is expected to get revenue, industries or power and tribal development departments.

Owing to the differences within NCP over the deputy chief ministership in the backdrop of the failed revolt by party leader Ajit Pawar, the expansion of the cabinet has been postponed to month-end. “The allocation has almost been done and we will announce it [for the six ministers sworn-in on Nov 28] by Wednesday. After the expansion of the cabinet, the new ministers will be allocated the departments from the quota of their respective parties,” said a Congress leader.

Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28. The Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government won the floor test on November 30 with 169 votes in its favour.

The three parties - Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress - having sunk their ideological and political differences came together to put up an anti-BJP front. The development came after Sena, BJP’s pre-poll alliance partner in the Maharashtra poll, severed its decades long alliance over sharing the chief minister’s post.