Uddhav Thackeray meets Pawar, greets him on birthday

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday met NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence here and extended birthday greetings. Former Union minister Pawar, who played a key role in the formation of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last month, turned 79 on Thursday. The meeting between the two leaders took place after portfolios were distributed among the Shiv Sena, the NCP, and the Congress which have formed the MVA government. Thackeray's office later tweeted that he along with his wife Rashmi and MLA-son Aaditya extended birthday greetings to Pawar and also shared their picture. NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule, too, were present on the occasion along with other members of the Pawar and Sule families.

Pawar had convinced the Sena and the Congress, who are ideological opponents, to join hands to form the non-BJP government in which his NCP is also a key partner. Thackeray was sworn-in as the chief minister on November 28, when six other ministers -- two each from Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress -- too took oath. A statement from the CM's office said Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has been given the charge of Home, Forest, Urban Development, Environment, Water Supply, Water Conservation, Tourism, Public Undertakings, Parliamentary Affairs departments.

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The other Sena minister, Subhash Desai, has been given the charge of Industries, Higher and Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Horticulture, Transport, Marathi Language and Cultural Affairs, Ports. NCP minister Jayant Patil has been allocated Finance and Planning, Housing, Public Health, Co-operation, Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and Minority Welfare. Chhagan Bhujbal, another NCP minister, has been given Irrigation, Rural Development, Social Justice, Excise, Skill Development, Food and Drug Administration. Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat will look after Revenue, Energy, Medical Education, School Education, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Fisheries.

His party colleague Nitin Raut has been given PWD, Tribal Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Textile, Relief and Rehabilitation, OBC, VJNT, Special Backward Class Welfare. Thackeray will keep the departments not allocated to any minister, the CMO statement said. 

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