The expansion of council of ministers of the newly formed Maharashtra government is expected before Christmas, a senior Congress leader said.

“Expansion of the council of ministers is expected on December 23 or 24. Portfolio allocation has been done. Some departments might get swapped among the three parties,” a senior Congress leader said on Friday.

Advertisement

On December 12, portfolios were allotted in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, an alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

Read: Sena gets Home, NCP Finance, Congress Revenue portfolios in Maharashtra cabinet

The Home Ministry was allotted to Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena. Shinde was also allotted Urban Development, Environment, PWD, and Tourism and Parliamentary Works ministry. Subhash Desai of Shiv Sena got the Industry, Higher and Technical Education, Sports and Youth, and Employment ministry in the state.

Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP got Rural Development, Social Justice, Water Resources and State Excise ministry in the Uddhav Thackeray’s cabinet. NCP leader Jayant Patil, who was also elected as the Legislative Party Leader of NCP after Ajit Pawar was dismissed from the post, got Finance and Planning, Housing, Food Supply, and Labour ministry.

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat got Revenue, School Education, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries ministry. Nitin Raut of Congress got the PWD, Tribal development, OBC development, Women and Child Development, and Relief and rehabilitation ministry.

The winter session of Maharashtra Assembly is underway in Nagpur and will end on Saturday.

As per the reports, CM Uddhav Thackeray held talks with NCP Sharad Pawar and Congress general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge in Nagpur on Thursday over the expansion of the council of ministers.

A senior Congress leader told PTI that a decision will be taken whether to induct former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan in the council of ministers or only one of them.

“Ashok Chavan has served as cabinet minister in the state before becoming the chief minister. He has experience in the state administration, unlike Prithviraj Chavan who was an MoS (Minister of State) in the union cabinet before becoming chief minister,” the leader said.

The 288 members Maharashtra Assembly can have 43 ministers including the chief minister. According to the rule, the strength of council of ministers can be 15 per cent of the total strength of the assembly.

Uddhav Thackeray in after more than a month long dramatic turn of events took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on November 28.