MUMBAI: The expansion of the newly-formed Maharashtra cabinet and allocation of portfolios has been postponed and is likely to take place on December 27 or 28, according to sources.
Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, all the parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi have decided to induct new faces in the cabinet ministry.
Shiv Sena and NCP will each get 13 berths -- 10 cabinet and three Minister of State, whereas the Congress will get 10 cabinet and two Minister of State berths.
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar held a meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at Sahyadri Guest House on Monday where the issue of cabinet expansion was discussed.
Sangram Thopate, Yashomati Thakur, Ameen Patel, KC Padvi, Aslam Shaikh, Vishwajeet Kadam, Amit Deshmukh and Praniti Shinde are the most probable candidates likely to be induced in the cabinet from Congress.
Jitendra Awhad, Aditi Tatkare, Shekhar Nikam, Sangram Jagtap, Prajakt Tanpure or Nilesh Lanke are the likely frontrunners from the Nationalist Congress Party.
Apart from fresh candidates, the probable ministers are Ashok Chavan, Varsha Gaikwad, Vijay Vadettiwar and Kedar Deshmukh from Congress. From NCP, Anil Deshmukh, Rajendra Shingane, Hassan Mushrif, Baba Jani Durrani are the most likely names.
However, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the alliance members have the list ready. “Each party has finalised the names to be induced in the cabinet,” said Chavan.
“After receiving a nod from the Congress high command, our party will go ahead. In the next two to three days, it will be finalised,” Chavan added.
As per the portfolio-sharing arrangement decided by the Shiv Sena and its allies, the Thackeray-led party got home, urban development, forest, environment, agriculture, industries and higher and technical education and parliamentary affairs departments. The NCP was allocated finance and planning, housing, public health, irrigation, rural development and social justice departments.
Besides, Congress has been given revenue, energy, PWD, tribal welfare, women and child welfare, textile, relief and rehabilitation.
