Mumbai: Wait for the allocation of portfolios to 36 ministers inducted on Monday may get longer as the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are yet to hold a meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Because of New Year celebrations, the meeting may take place only on Wednesday or Thursday after which Thackeray will send the final list to the Governor.
At present, CM Thackeray has made an allocation of portfolios among six ministers including Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena), Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP) and Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut (Congress). They handled the questions concerning all the ministries during the Winter Session of the Maharashtra legislature.
A section of Congress party said the party wants some portfolios to be exchanged with NCP and Shiv Sena. Congress is insisting that it should get Agriculture.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told FPJ, "State NCP chief and senior minister Jayant Patil and state Congress leader and senior minister Balasaheb Thorat will soon meet CM Thackeray to finalise on the portfolios.”
Patil confirmed his meeting with Thorat may take place late Tuesday night or Wednesday and later they will meet CM Thackeray.
Ex-CM Ashok Chavan and cabinet minister Vilas Vadettiwar are the frontrunners for Public Works and Energy portfolios while Thorat may get Revenue, Yashomati Thakur Education, KC Padvi Tribal Affairs and Sunil Kedar Medical Education.
In the case of NCP, Ajit Pawar may get Planning and Finance ministry, Jayant Patil Irrigation, Chhagan Bhujbal Food and Civil Supplies, Hasan Mushrif Rural Development, Balasaheb Patil Cooperation and Marketing, Dhananjay Munde Social Justice and Jitendra Awhad Housing.
Sena minister Eknath Shinde will keep Urban Development and Public Works (public undertaking) besides Parliamentary Affairs while Subhash Desai will continue to hold Industries portfolio. Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackery may get Environment and Higher and Technical Education, Uday Samant Water Supply or Transport and Anil Parab could be a new minister of Employment Guarantee.
