Maharashtra Portfolios: CM Uddhav Thackeray keeps multiple major ministries with himself

Amid the highly-awaited Maharashtra portfolio allocation announcement on Sunday morning, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray all set to reportedly hold the charges of a few ministries that were not allocated to any ministers. This includes the Ministry of General Administration, Information and Technology, Information and Public Relations, Law and Judiciary and other departments.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday approved the allocation of portfolios in the State cabinet as finalised by CM Thackeray. The official list is out. Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning has been allocated to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, while the Home Ministry has been allocated to NCP's Anil Deshmukh and Urban Development Ministry has been allocated to Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde. Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat has been allocated Revenue Ministry and Aaditya Thackeray has been given the portfolio of Environment, Tourism and Protocol. Notably, Sharad Pawar-led NCP has got most of the 'plum portfolios' which includes Finance, Home, Irrigation, etc. 

READ | Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Approves Allocation Of Portfolios

Rift in Maha Vikas Aghadi

Earlier, the delay was due to disagreement between the three ruling allies — Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. The NCP, however, shifted the blamed on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for delaying the matter for another day. State Minister and NCP leader Jayant Patil tweeted that the list was sent to Koshyari at 7.30 pm. An official from the State government said that the file was sent around 8-8.30 pm while sources in Sena and NCP claimed that it was sent at 9.45 pm.

READ | Maha Portfolios: Ajit Pawar Gets Finance, NCP's Anil Deshmukh To Lead Home. Full List Here

Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion

On December 31, during the cabinet expansion and oath ceremony, NCP's Ajit Pawar once again took oath as Deputy CM after his three-day stint in November with the short-lived Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government. Shiv Sena's 13 ministers (10 - cabinet, 3 - MoS), NCP's 13 ministers (10 - cabinet, 3 - MoS) and Congress's 10 ministers (8 - cabinet, 2 - MoS) took oath on Monday at 12 pm in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha. Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on November 28 along with six ministers — two each from alliance partners the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.

READ | Maha Portfolios | NCP Gets Lion-share With Home, Irrigation; Sena - Urban Dvpt Say Sources

READ | CM Has Sent Portfolio List To Governor: Jayant Patil