Maharashtra Cabinet Portfolio / Division of departments in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar got his favorite finance ministry

Maharashtra Cabinet Portfolio: After much upheaval in Maharashtra politics, political tension was witnessed and nine Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs who were inducted in the Maharashtra state cabinet finally got their portfolios on Friday. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been assigned the finance and planning portfolio, an important portfolio in the state government. Chhagan Bhujbal has been given the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, while Dharamraobaba Atram has been given the responsibility of Drug and Administration (FDA).

The first woman minister Aditi Tatkare has been given the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Abdul Sattar has been given the Minorities Minister, Hasan Mushrif the Medical Education Ministry and Dhanjay Munde the Agriculture Ministry. Abdul Sattar of Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction and Sanjay Rathore's agriculture and FDA departments have been given to NCP faction. Sanjay Rathod has been entrusted with the responsibility of the Water Conservation Department, while Devendra Fadnavis will have the Ministry of Home Affairs, Irrigation and Energy.

The cooperative department will be with Dilip Walse Patil, while Anil Patil will look after relief and rehabilitation as well as disaster management. At the same time, Sanjay Bansode has been given the sports and youth welfare and port departments. The split follows a split in the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and subsequent induction of these nine MLAs into the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government last month.

The tussle over the division of departments

It was being told that with the inclusion of NCP leaders in the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, a tussle had started over the allocation of portfolios. The cabinet expansion was delayed due to the standoff between the Ajit Pawar camp and the Eknath Shinde faction. Earlier this month, on July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight NCP MLAs took oath as ministers in the Maharashtra government. There was a sudden earthquake in the politics of Maharashtra and NCP broke into two parts. Both Sharad Pawar and nephew Ajit Pawar started asserting their rights over the party.