MUMBAI: Exactly two weeks after its inception, the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday declared the portfolio allocation among its ministers.
The Shiv Sena kept the key portfolios of Home and Urban Development with itself, apart from retaining the PWD that it held during the tenure of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was given Finance and Housing departments, while the Congress got Revenue and Energy departments, as well as a part of the PWD.
Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde emerged as the most powerful member of the Maharashtra cabinet, with key portfolios such as Home, Urban Development, PWD (Public Undertaking), Forests, Environment, Tourism, Water Supply and Sanitation and Parliamentary Affairs, in his kitty.
Subhash Desai, another member of the cabinet, was allocated allocated Industries and Mining, Agriculture & Horticulture, EGS, Transport, Higher and Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Ports, Protocol and Cultural Affairs departments.
Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal got Rural Development, Water Resources & Irrigation, Social Justice, State Excise and Food and Drug Administartion departments.
Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress got Revenue, Energy, Medical Education, School Education and Animal Husbandry & Fisheries departments.
However, Bhujbal termed the portfolio allocations “temporary”. “Fifty four departments, were allocated among seven ministers. However, these are temporary allocations,” Bhujbal said.