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Deputy chief minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar has got the finance and planning department while party colleague Anil Deshmukh is the state’s new home minister, a senior official said .
The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, had been facing criticism from the opposition BJP for delay in the allocation of portfolios despite being in power for over a month now.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray was sworn-in as chief minister on November 28 along with six ministers, two each from his party, NCP and Congress.
The Cabinet was expanded on December 30 with the induction of 36 ministers.
Besides, first-time Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who is the son of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, has been given charge of the environment, tourism and protocol departments, he said.
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat has got the revenue ministry while his party colleague and former chief minister Ashok Chavan got the public works department — excluding public undertakings, the official added.
NCP’s former leader of opposition in state Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde has got the social justice department while party leader Jitendra Awhad has been given housing.
With this allocation of portfolios, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has got most of the ‘plum’ ministries.
