Maharashtra crisis: CM Uddhav Thackeray strips rebel ministers of portfolios

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday reallocated the portfolios of nine rebel ministers, who are currently camping in Guwahati, to other ministers.

The portfolio of Eknath Shinde has been reallocated to Subhash Desai, Gulbrao Patil's has been reallocated to Anil Parab, and Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant's portfolio is with Aaditya Thackeray.

Abdul Sattar's Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development has gone to Prajakt Tanpure while Bacchu Kadu's (independent) portfolio is now with Aditi Tatkare.


The portfolios of the rebel ministers were being handed over to other ministers for ease of administration, an official statement said. Nine Maharashtra ministers have so far joined the rebel camp led by Eknath Shinde.

The Sena now has four cabinet ministers, including CM Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Anil Parab, and Subhash Desai.

Barring Aaditya Thackeray, the rest three are MLCs.




In the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by the Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party had 10 Cabinet-rank ministers before the rebellion and four Ministers of State (MoS), including two from the Sena quota.

All the four MoS have joined the rebel camp in Guwahati.

Meanwhile, Shinde has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, citing that the MVA alliance has lost the majority in the house as 38 of the members of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party have withdrawn their support thus bringing it below the majority in the house.

Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra triggered by a rebellion by a large section of Shiv Sena MLAs, who are currently camping in Assam, Eknath Shinde has approached the Supreme Court against the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker against rebel MLAs.

Two petitions have been filed, one by Shinde and the other by rebel MLAs, challenging the disqualification notice issued by the Deputy Speaker and the appointment of Ajay Chaudhary as leader of the legislative party.

(With inputs from agencies)