In a surprise development, Maharashtra Energy Minister Padamsinh Patil, a known loyalist of NCP leader Sharad Pawar, was on Monday divested of his portfolio, which was given to Dilip Valse-Patil, Pawar's former personal secretary.

Padamsinh Patil continues to hold the irrigation portfolio. Earlier, Dilip Valse-Patil was in charge of only the higher and technical education department.

It is believed that Padamsinh Patil, a long time confidant of Pawar, has been replaced in the wake of power crisis faced by the state. Another likely reason is the stand taken by the state government before the Enron commission, supporting its jurisdiction to probe the legality of the Dabhol project.

Pawar opposes the jurisdiction of the Enron probe commission while the Maharashtra government supports it.

Either way, the decision to change the portfolio was taken at the behest of the NCP leadership, sources close to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's office said in Mumbai.

There is widespread resentment against the Democratic Front government following frequent load shedding in parts of the state. The state is facing an energy shortfall to the tune of 2,000 MW.

Pawar has time and again expressed his unhappiness over the acute power shortage and frequent load shedding. Under attack from the opposition Shiv Sena-BJP, Pawar had recently convened a meeting in Mumbai to deliberate over the state's energy scenario.

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