The Congress, the third partner in the coalition, has got Revenue, Energy, Education, PWD, Textiles, Women and Child Welfare ministries
Portfolios in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra were allotted on Thursday, two weeks after Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister, with his party, Shiv Sena, getting the important Home ministry.
Thackeray, along with six ministers — two each from Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — took oath of office on November 28.
A statement from the CM’s office said that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has been given the charge of Home, Urban Development, Forest, Environment, Water Supply, Water Conservation, Tourism, Public Undertakings, Parliamentary Affairs departments.
The other Sena minister, Subhash Desai, has been given the charge of Industries, Higher and Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Horticulture, Transport, Marathi Language and Cultural Affairs, Ports.
NCP minister Jayant Patil has been allocated Finance and Planning, Housing, Public Health, Co-operation, Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and Minority Welfare.
Chhagan Bhujbal, another NCP minister, has been given Irrigation, Rural Development, Social Justice, Excise, Skill Development, Food and Drug Administration.
Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat has been given Revenue, Energy, Medical Education, School Education, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Fisheries.
Congress’s Nitin Raut has been given PWD, Tribal Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Textile, Relief and Rehabilitation, OBC, VJNT, Special Backward Class Welfare.
Chief minister Thackeray will keep the departments not allocated to any minister, the statement said.
Cabinet expansion is likely to take place after the winter session of the state legislature ends on December 21.
The Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance formed the government in Maharashtra after a protracted political drama in the state.
(With PTI Inputs)
Prasanta Patnaik