Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday allocated portfolios to the twenty-member council of ministers, including 10 of the Shiv Sena, who were inducted into his expanded cabinet.
The Sena did not get any 'crucial' portfolios such as home, revenue and water resources. Also, Fadnavis had already made it clear that there won't be a post of deputy CM in his government.
The cabinet ministers who had taken oath on Friday were Girish Bapat (Bharatiya Janata Party), Girish Mahajan (BJP), Diwakar Raote (Shiv Sena), Subhash Desai (SS), Ramdas Kadam (SS), Eknath Shinde (SS), Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP), Babanrao Lonikar (BJP), Dr Deepak Sawant (SS) and Rajkumar Badole (BJP).
Subhash Desai of the Shiv Sena, a close confidante of Uddhav Thackeray, was allotted the Industries portfolio, previously held by BJP leader Prakash Mehta. Sena leader Diwakar Raote, currently a member of legislative council and former Mumbai mayor, has been given the transport portfolio.
Eknath Shinde of Sena, a third time member of Legislative Assembly and leader of opposition until Friday will hold the charge of public works (including public undertakings) in the state ministry.
Sena leader Dr Deepak Sawant, who is currently a member of Legislative Council, has been allotted the public health and family welfare department.
Ramdas Kadam of Sena, an MLC, and a former LoP, has been made in-charge of environment portfolio. BJP leader Girish Bapat, sixth term MLA from Kasba Peth in Pune has been allotted food, civil supplies and consumer protection, food and drugs administration and parliamentary affairs.
Girish Mahajan, a fifth term BJP MLA from Jamner in Jalgaon will hold charge of water resources.
Chandrashekhar Bawankule of the BJP, who is a third term MLA from Kamptee in Vidarbha has been allotted energy, new and renewable energy portfolio.
BJP leader Babanrao Lonikar, a third time MLA and head of party's Jalna district unit will hold charge of water supply and sanitation portfolios. Rajkumar Badole, a second term MLA from Arjuni Morgaon in Bhandara and a staunch supporter of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will be in-charge of social justice and special assistance portfolio.
Those sworn in as ministers of state were: Ram Shinde (BJP), Vijay Deshmukh (BJP), Sanjay Rathod (Shiv Sena), Dada Bhuse (SS), Vijay Shivtare (SS), Deepak Kesarkar (SS), Raje Amrish Atram (BJP), Ravindra Waikar (SS), Dr Ranjit Patil (BJP) and Pravin Pote (BJP).
Deepak Kesarkar, a former NCP MLA who switched loyalties to the Shiv Sena ahead of the Lok Sabha polls will be MoS for Finance and rural development. Ravindra Waikar of Sena, a third term MLA from Jogeshwari here will be MoS for housing, higher and technical education.
Sanjay Rathod, who is the Yavatmal district president of Shiv Sena and a third term MLA from Digras has been made MoS for the revenue department.
Vijay Shivtare of the Shiv Sena who represents Purandar assembly seat and is a second term MLA, will be MoS for water resources and water conservation department.
Dada Bhuse of the Sena, who is a third term MLA from Malegaon will be Mos for co-operation department. Ram Shinde, a BJP MLA from Karjat Jamkhed seat will be MoS for home (rural), marketing, public health and tourism.
Vijay Deshmukh of the BJP, who is a third term MLA from North Solapur seat will be MoS for public works (public undertakings), transport, labour and textiles.
Raje Ambrishrao Atram of the BJP, who won from Aheri, will be MoS for tribal development. Ranjit Patil, an MLC who represents Amravati graduates constituency will be MoS for home (urban), urban development, general administration, law and judiciary and parliamentary affairs.
Pravin Pote of the BJP will be MoS for industries and mining, environment, public works (excluding public undertaking).
The chief minister will keep home, urban development, general administration, law and judiciary with himself. Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse will continue to hold revenue, minorities development and Wakf, agriculture and horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries, and state excise.
Former state BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar will hold charge of finance and planning, and forest departments. BJP leader Vinod Tawde will hold charge of school education, sports and youth welfare, higher and technical education, medical education, Marathi Bhasha and cultural affairs.
Prakash Mehta, MLA from Ghatkopar East in Mumbai will continue to hold housing, mining and labour ministries. Chandrakant Patil, an MLC, will hold the co-operation, marketing and textiles and public works (excluding public undertakings) department.
Pankaja Munde, who was made the state BJP core committee member after the death of her father and Gopinath Munde, will be in-charge of rural development and water conservation, employment and guarantee scheme and women and child development.
Vishnu Savara, the BJP MLA from Vikramgadh seat in Palghar district, will be in-charge of tribal development department. Vidya Thakur will be MoS for women and child development, food and civil supplies and consumer protection, food and drugs administration.
BJP leader Dilip Kamble will continue to be MoS for social justice and special assistance departments.
Image: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Photograph: Sahil Salvi
