Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis allocates portfolios; BJP retains key departments

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today retained key ministries with the BJP while allocating portfolios to the 20-member council of ministers, including 10 of Shiv Sena as against its demand for plum ministries like Home, Revenue etc.

The Sena, understood to have hard bargained with BJP for "money-spinning" departments like Home, Finance, Revenue and Water Resources, finally settled for ministries like Environment, Public Health, PWD, Industries and Transport.

In contrast, portfolios like Food and Civil Supplies, Water Resources, Energy, Water Supply and Social Justice and Special Assistance will be represented by Girish Bapat, Girish Mahajan, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Babanrao Lonikar and Rajkumar Badole of BJP, respectively.

In today's allocation, Subhash Desai of Sena, a close confidante of Uddhav Thackeray, got the Industries portfolio, previously held by BJP's Prakash Mehta.

Senior Sena leader Diwakar Raote, currently a member of legislative council and former Mumbai Mayor, has been given the Transport portfolio.

Eknath Shinde of Sena, a third time MLA and Leader of Opposition till yesterday will hold the charge of Public Works (including Public Undertakings) in the state ministry.

Sena leader Dr Deepak Sawant, who is currently an MLC, has been alloted Public Health and Family Welfare department.

Ramdas Kadam of Sena, an MLC, and a former LoP, has been made in-charge of Environment portfolio.

The five Sena leaders who were given the post of Minister of State are Deepak Kesarkar (Finance and Rural Development), Ravindra Waikar (Housing, Higher and Technical Education), Sanjay Rathod (MoS for Revenue department), Vijay Shivtare (Water Resources and Water Conservation) and Dada Bhuse (Co-operation).

On BJP's side, Ram Shinde is made MoS for Home (Rural), Marketing, Public Health and Tourism, while Vijay Deshmukh is allotted Public Works (Public Undertakings), Transport, Labour and Textiles, Raje Ambrishrao Atram (Tribal Development), Dr Ranjit Patil (Home-Urban), Urban Development, General Administration, Law and Judiciary and Parliamentary Affairs and Pravin Pote (Industries and Mining), Environment, Public Works (excluding public undertaking).

Attempts to contact Sena leaders did not yield any results as they did not respond to the calls.

Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar had earlier said, "From very beginning we had been demanding Home, Revenue and PWD ministries from BJP. However, to say that we are getting irrelevant ministries is not right. (portfolios of) MSRDC and Environment too are important ones."