November 22, 2024

Chhagan Bhujbal: Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar gets finance, planning ministries | India News

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NEW DELHI: In a major Cabinet reshuffle by the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra, newly inducted deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has been given the finance and planning ministries while minister Chhagan Bhujbal has been allotted the food and civil supplies ministry.
Ajit getting the finance portfolio is significant given there was stiff opposition to it from Sena MLAs led by Bharat Gogawale and Prahar party legislator Bacchu Kadu, who complained that Ajit had blocked funds for them when he was finance minister in the erstwhile MVA government and was responsible for their walking out of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.
The latest reshuffle has placed some key portfolios in the hands of the Ajit Pawar group of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Dilip Walse Patil has been allotted the cooperation ministry and the NCP’s Dhananjay Munde is Maharashtra’s new agriculture minister and Aditi Tatkare is the new women and child development minister.
The cooperation department is currently held by BJP’s Atul Save and agriculture is with Shiv Sena’s Abdul Sattar.
Cabinet minister Anil Patil has been given the relief and rehabilitation, disaster management department; and Dhananjay Munde got the agriculture ministry.
Uncertainty over further cabinet expansion still continues. While CM Shinde is keen on immediate expansion, the BJP has taken the view that it should take place after the monsoon session of the state legislature which begins on July 17.
On the party agreeing to accepting Ajit as finance minister, a Sena legislator said, “We left the Thackeray-led government to protest against Ajit Pawar.”
(This is a developing story)



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