Maharashtra Govt's Portfolio Formula Out, Ajit Pawar Gets Finance, Ashok Chavan Bags PWD: Sources

Days after the expansion of Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government, News Nation has learnt the formula of the portfolio allocation among the three parties. According to sources, Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been allocated the finance ministry. NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew is the first MLA in the country to become deputy chief minister for the second time in two different governments in a month. However, he has become deputy CM for the fourth time in the state. Ajit Pawar was also sworn in as deputy CM when BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as chief minister for the second time.

Another major name from the NCP camp that is doing the rounds is that of Nawab Malik. So far, there is sort of an agreement to allocate the minority affairs ministry to Malik. The deliberations are still on. Another key area of the discussion is that of allocation of home ministry. Though it was already decided that the home ministry will go to the NCP, however, no name has been finalised yet. Between Anil Deshmukh and Dilip Walse Patil, the alliance partners have to decide who will be the next home minister of Maharashtra.

Jitendra Awhad, another major NCP leader, has been given the housing department, whereas Jayant Patil will head the irrigation ministry. From Congress, the biggest surprise is the ministry allocated to Ashok Chavan. He has been allocated the PWD ministry. In 2017, the former Maharashtra chief minister was acquitted in the Adarsh housing scam. Chavan had got relief after the Bombay High Court rejected the then Governor's sanction to prosecute him. Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat has bagged the revenue department. Yashomati Chandrakant Thakur has been allocated the women welfare ministry. Kagda Chandya Padvi will be heading the tribal ministry.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had administered oath to 14 ministers from the NCP, 10 from the Congress and 12 from the Shiv Sena at Vidhan Bhavan (state legislature) premises in south Mumbai on December 30 last year. The 36 new ministers included 10 Cabinet and four ministers of state (MoS) of the NCP, eight Cabinet and four MoS of the Sena, and eight Cabinet and two MoS of the Congress. However, what attracted the most attention was the shadow of dynastic politics.