Maha portfolios: Sena gets home, NCP finance, Cong revenue

Portfolios in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra were allotted on Thursday, two weeks after Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister, with his party, Shiv Sena, getting the important home ministry.

Thackeray, along with six ministers -- two each from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress -- took oath of office on November 28.

The unlikely coalition of the three parties came into being after the Sena's alliance with the BJP fell apart over sharing of CM's post following the October 21 assembly polls.

A statement from the Thackeray's office said that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has been given the charge of home, urban development, forest, environment, water supply, water conservation, tourism, public undertakings, parliamentary affairs departments.

The other Sena minister, Subhash Desai, has been given the charge of industries, higher and technical education, sports and youth welfare, horticulture, transport, Marathi language and cultural affairs, ports.

NCP minister Jayant Patil has been allocated finance and planning, housing, public health, co-operation, food & civil supplies, labour and minority welfare.

Chhagan Bhujbal, another NCP minister, has been given Irrigation, Rural Development, Social Justice, Excise, Skil Development, Food and Drug Administration.

Congress minister Balasaheb Thorat has been given revenue, energy, medical education, school education, animal husbandry and dairy development, fisheries.

Congress's Nitin Raut has been given public works department, tribal welfare, women and child welfare, textile, relief and rehabilitation, OBC, VJNT, Special Backward Class Welfare.

Chief Minister Thackeray will keep the departments not allocated to any minister, the statement said.

Cabinet expansion is likely to take place after the winter session of the state legislature, which is scheduled from December 16 to 21.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "The portfolio allocation is a temporary arrangement in view of the winter session which will start next week. After the cabinet expansion more ministers will be inducted."

A senior Congress leader told PTI that the party will give opportunity to new faces during the cabinet expansion.

"We wanted Housing or Industry department. But we will get posts of Ministers of State for these two portfolios," he said.