The key portfolio coup staged by rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar has dumbfounded the most experienced politicians. Of the prime state ministries with the BJP that went to the NCP, one was finance and planning, which Pawar has bagged for himself. Another plum charge that has gone from the BJP to NCP is cooperation.
As expected, Aditi Tatkare, the only woman member of the cabinet, was given the charge of the women and child welfare ministry and Dhananjay Munde was allocated agriculture, held by Shiv Sena’s Abdul Sattar so far.
Chhagan Bhujbal expected to be Nashik's Guardian Min
In the reallocation of portfolios, Shiv Sena minister Dadaji Bhuse got charge of the PWD (public undertakings, MSRDC). Earlier, he held the charge of mining and ports. Eknath Shinde had been handling the department for the past eight years. In return, though, Bhuse may have to cede the guardian ministership of his home district Nashik, of which Chhagan Bhujbal is expected to be the guardian minister.
Two other Shiv Sena ministers, Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar, have been demoted. They lost their important portfolios of food and drug administration and agriculture, respectively, and have been given the comparatively lighter ministries of soil and water conservation and minorities welfare and marketing. The NCP’s Dharmaraobaba Atram has been given charge of the Food and Drug Administration. Sattar, having lost agriculture, will now take care of the minority welfare and marketing portfolios.
Rathod and Sattar were under fire for dismal performance. So, the demotion is considered a warning for them, to shape up or be shipped out.
BJP's Atul Save lost cooperation to NCP
BJP’s Atul Save lost the cooperation ministry to NCP’s Dilip Walse-Patil. Save’s performance, too, was under the lens after corruption charges surfaced. But surprisingly, he has been able to retain charge of the housing department.
Another BJP minister who has lost a chunk of ministries is Girish Mahajan, who is known for his proximity to Fadnavis. His sports ministry has been given to NCP’s Sanjay Bansode, while medical education has gone to Hasan Mushrif. Similarly, the BJP’s Ravindra Chavan was earlier handling food and civil supplies, which has now gone to Bhujbal. However, Chavan has retained charge of the PWD.
