After much delay, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday finally allocated the portfolios to his ministers, keeping the coveted home ministry with him.
Deputy chief minister Ajay Pawar bagged finance, planning and excise, while the other deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde will handle urban development, housing and public works.
Fadnavis also has the portfolios of energy (excluding renewable energy), law and judiciary, general administration, information and publicity and other departments that are not allotted to any other minister.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has bagged the key portfolio of revenue, while another heavyweight Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who had the revenue ministry in the last government, got water resources (Godavari, Krishna valley department cooperation). BJP leader and former state president Chandrakant Patil was allocated the higher and technical education and parliamentary affairs ministry.
The BJP's Girish Mahajan who is close to CM Fadnavis was allocated the water resources and disaster management ministry. Another senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik was given the forest ministry while the Shiv Sena's Gulabrao Patil got the water supply and sanitation ministry. Another Shiv Sena MLA Dadaji Bhuse was given the school education ministry.
The Shiv Sena's Uday Samant succeeded in retaining the industry ministry for the third time. He also held the portfolio in the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde governments.
The BJP's Pankaja Munde got environment, climate change and animal husbandry while her cousin and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde got food, civil supplies and consumer protection.
The NCP's Hasan Mushriff succeeded in retaining the medical education ministry, while another MLA from the party Manikrao Kokate was allocated the agriculture ministry.