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Maharashtra: Fadnavis gets Home, Finance; CM Shinde to handle Urban Development

CM will also look after Environment, Minority and Transport portfolios

eknath-shinde-devendra-fadnavis-amey Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis | Amey Mansabdar

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday allocated the crucial portfolios of Home and Finance to his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. The chief minister will handle Urban Development, Environment, Minority, Transport and Disaster Management.

Shinde had expanded his two-member cabinet on August 9 by inducting 18 ministers—nine each from his rebel Shiv Sena group and the BJP—almost six weeks after he took oath along with Fadnavis on June 30. With this, the strength of Maharashtra ministry has now gone up to 20, less than half the maximum allowed strength of 43. 

According to a press statement issued by the chief minister's office on Sunday, Fadnavis will also handle the planning ministry while BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil will be the new revenue minister. BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has been made the Forest minister, a portfolio he handled earlier. 

The higher and technical education portfolio was allocated to former state BJP president Chandrakant Patil who will also handle the parliamentary affairs. 

From the Shinde group, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for school education, while Abdul Sattar has been given the Agriculture portfolio. 

Shinde and 39 other Shiv Sena legislators had revolted against the party leadership in June this year, which led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

With PTI inputs

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