Ajit gets finance as 9 NCP leaders join Maha cabinet

Twelve days after nine Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders took oath as ministers in the Maharashtra government, their portfolios were announced on Friday after protracted negotiations between the three partners in the state’s ruling alliance.

- Faisal Malik and Shailesh Gaikwad

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar got finance, a department he held under the previous government as well, and planning portfolios; at the same time assured chief minister Eknath Shinde and his MLAs that all major decisions related to the finance department would be monitored by the CM and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.

Dilip Walse Patil, who was the home minister when Shinde rebelled and pulled down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last year — will now head the cooperation department while Chhagan Bhujbal will handle the food and civil supplies department. Dhananjay Munde will head the agriculture department and the only woman minister in the cabinet, Aditi Tatkare, will be in charge of the women and child welfare department.

The other ministers are Hasan Mushrif (medical education), Dharmarao Atram (food and drugs administration), Sanjay Bansode (sports and youth welfare), and Anil Patil (relief and rehabilitation).

Following the reshuffle, the BJP now has 10 of the 29 cabinet berths, the NCP has nine and Sena has 10. The BJP controls important departments such as home, revenue, water resources (irrigation), energy, housing, public works, and tribal development. The Sena, on the other hand, will look after urban development, social justice, public health, industries, and school education departments.