The new ministers who joined the Shiv Sena-BJP Government in Maharashtra were allotted portfolios on Friday afternoon. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the new ministries.
As expected, Ajit Pawar, who led the defection in the Nationalist Congress Party to become Deputy Chief Minister, was given the Finance Ministry and Planning. Senior NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil will hold the Ministry of Food and Civic Supplies and Consumer Protection and Cooperation, respectively. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil will be Minister for Revenue and Animal Husbandry. Dhananjay Munde will be Minister for Agriculture, and Hasan Mushrif will shoulder the responsibility of Medical Education. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis continues to be the Home Minister.
With the introduction of new ministers, changes have also been made in the portfolios of the existing ministers. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has General Administration, Urban Development, Information and Technology, Information and Public Contact, Transport, Social Welfare, Environment, Mining and other departments not allotted to others.
Fadnavis will hold Home Ministry, Law and Justice, Water Resources, Energy, and Protocol ministries.
The other ministers and their ministries are – Sudhir Mungantiwar – Forest, Culture and Fisheries. Chandrakant Patil – Higher and Technical Education, textile and Parliamentary Affairs, Vijay Gavit – Tribal Development; Girish Mahajan – Rural Development, Panchayat Raj and Tourism; Gulabrao Patil – Water Supply and Sanitation; Dadaji Bhyuse – PWD; Sanjay Rathod- Soil and Water Conservation; Sandipan Bhumre – EGS and Horticulture; Uday Samant – Industries; Tanaji Sawant – Public Health and Family Welfare; Ravindra Chavan – PWD (Except Public Works); Abdul Sattar – Miniritioes Development and Aukaf, Marketing; Deepak Kesarkar – School Education and Marathi Language; Dharmaraobaba Atram – FDA; Atul Save – Housing and BC Welfare; Shambhuraj Desai – State Excise; Aditi Tatkare – Women and Child Development; Sanjay Bansode – Sports and Youth Welfare; Mangalprabhat Lodha – Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation; and Anil Patil –Assistance, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management.