Maharashtra cabinet: Most key ministries in BJP’s kitty

In distribution of power in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has grabbed the important portfolios, with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis keeping home, finance and planning. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has kept the Urban Development Department, in addition to several others. The portfolios were assigned on Sunday, five days after the cabinet was expanded.

In addition to Urban Development Department, which successive CMs have kept with themselves, Shinde has the general administration, information technology, information and publicity, Public Works Department [with MSRDC], transport, marketing, social justice, relief and rehabilitation, disaster management, environment and climate change, and minority affairs portfolios.

Home and finance in-charge Fadnavis has housing, water resources, law and judiciary, energy and protocol departments as well. Both Shinde and Fadnavis will part with some portfolios when more ministers are inducted in the cabinet in later stages. Shinde, who wanted the Urban Development Department at any cost, is unlikely to give it up. Fadnavis will keep the much-important home and finance ministries even after the next expansion or reshuffle. Some of the departments that Fadnavis now holds were with senior leaders during the previous BJP-Sena government.

Also read: If required, portfolios can be exchanged with Shinde camp, says Fadnavis

BJP's portfolios

Given the third position in the cabinet seniority, BJP's Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has been tasked with revenue, animal husbandry and dairy developments. His party colleague Sudhir Mungantiwar has retained forest, but lost finance that he led in the previous BJP-Sena government. He also has fisheries and cultural affairs departments.

BJP's former revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, who had a host of departments in the previous regime, is in-charge of higher and technical education, textiles, and parliamentary affairs. Vijaykumar Gavit is the tribal development minister. He has experience in working in the same department in the Congress-NCP government. He himself belongs to a tribal community.

Girish Majahan, former water resources and medical education minister, has been entrusted with rural development, sports and youth welfare, and his favourite - medical education - departments. Suresh Khade is the labour minister, while Ravindra Chavan has been given important departments - public works [sans MSRDC], food, civil supplies and consumer protection. Mangal Prabhat Lodha also has a bouquet of portfolios - tourism, skill development, women and child welfare. Atul Save got cooperation, other backward classes and bahujan welfare departments.

Shinde Sena's berths

Gulabrao Patil from Shinde Shiv Sena has retained water supply and sanitation, but his colleague Dada Bhuse, who was agriculture minister in the Thackeray cabinet, got ports and mining portfolios, considered not that significant. Sanjay Rath od has landed food and drugs administration department, his colleague Sandipan Bhumre will again handle employment guarantee and horticulture in addition.

Uday Samant, former higher and technical education minister, will lead the state's industry department, while Tanaji Sawant has been given the responsibility of the public health and family welfare department. Abdul Sattar is the agriculture minister, while Deepak Kesarkar will head the school education and Marathi language. Shambhuraj Desai has the state excise department under his command.