Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approves allocation of portfolios

Amid the highly-awaited Maharashtra portfolio allocation announcement, Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday approved the allocation of portfolios as proposed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The official Twitter account of the Governor confirmed the same. According to Maharashtra minister and state NCP chief Jayant Patil, CM Uddhav Thackeray had sent the list of portfolios to be allocated to ministers to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Saturday evening.

'I hope the governor gives his approval soon'

In a Tweet, Patil said, "According to my information, the list of portfolios was given to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at 7.30 pm this evening. "I hope the Governor gives his approval soon," he said, adding that everybody was waiting for the announcement of portfolio allocation. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government is facing criticism from opposition BJP for the delay in the allocation of portfolios despite being in power for over a month now. 

Sources on Saturday reported that the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will retain the Home Ministry while NCP will get plum portfolios like Irrigation, Housing, and Excise. Sources further report that Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde will lead the Urban Development and Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat will get the Revenue department. Moreover, former CM Ashok Chavan has reportedly been allocated the Public Works Department. There have been reports of a rift in Maha Vikas Aghadi over the distribution of portfolios. 

Here is the list of portfolios:

NCP

• Ajit Pawar: Home Affairs
• Jayant Patil: Irrigation 
• Chhagan Bhujbal: Food and Civil supplies 
• Dilip Walse-Patil: Excise and labour 
• Dhananjay Munde: Social justice
• Jitendra Awhad: Housing
• Rajesh Tope: Health
• Rajendra Shingne: Food and Drugs Administration 

Shiv Sena

• Eknath Shinde:  Urban development

Congress

• Balasaheb Thorat:  Revenue department
• Ashok Chavan: Public Works department 
• Nitin Raut: Energy
• Varsha Gaikwad: School education, 
• Yashomati Thakur: Women and Child welfare 
• KC Padvi: Tribal development
• Sunil Kedar: Dairy development
• Vijay Wadettiwar: OBC welfare
• Aslam Shaikh: Textiles & ports
• Amit Deshmukh - Health education and culture

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On December 31, during the cabinet expansion oath ceremony, Ajit Pawar once again took oath as Deputy CM after his three-day stint in November with the short-lived Fadnavis government. Shiv Sena's 13 ministers (10 - cabinet, 3 - MoS), NCP's 13 ministers (10 - cabinet, 3 - MoS) and Congress' 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.

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(with PTI inputs)