Maha cabinet expansion: Ajit Pawar gets finance, Bhujbal gets agriculture portfolio; reports

The Maharashtra Cabinet expansion saw Ajit Pawar assigned the Finance portfolio and Chhagan Bhujbal given Food Civil Supplies. Dilip Valse Patil leads the Cooperation Department, and other portfolios were allocated to respective ministers. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP negotiations have caused delays in portfolio allocation.

The expansion of the Maharashtra Cabinet has been a topic of discussion for a while, especially after Ajit Pawar and nine other NCP leaders joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government. There have been speculations about conflicts arising from the allocation of ministerial positions. A scribe has now shared the list of portfolios assigned to Pawar and his supporters.

According to reports, Ajit Pawar has been assigned the Finance portfolio, Chhagan Bhujbal has received the Food Civil Supplies portfolio, and Dilip Valse Patil will lead the Cooperation Department. Dharmarao Atram has been appointed as the head of the Food and Drug Administration, and Dhananjay Munde will be responsible for the Agriculture Department. Anil Bhaidas Patil has been given the Sports portfolio, while Aditi Tatkare will oversee the Women Child Welfare Department, and Hasan Mushrif will be in charge of the Medical Education Department.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with Praful Patel, held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, on Wednesday, July 12. The meeting took place as the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP were trying to negotiate their respective party's participation in the cabinet expansion. Ajit Pawar and his supporters had aligned with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance on July 2. However, there has been a delay in reaching a consensus on the allocation of portfolios, which was long overdue.