NEW DELHI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis retained the home ministry along with law and judiciary in the newly sworn-in Maharashtra government, while deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde was entrusted with urban development, housing, and public works. Meanwhile, deputy chief minister and NCP ally Ajit Pawar has been allocated the finance ministry.
The portfolio announcement late on Saturday night marked the culmination of weeks of political negotiations within the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
BJP had earlier rejected Shiv Sena’s demands for the home ministry to be handed to Shinde.
The reshuffle follows a cabinet expansion on December 15, where 39 ministers—19 from BJP, 11 from Shiv Sena, and 9 from NCP—were inducted ahead of the winter session starting December 16.
Fadnavis and his deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were sworn in on December 5, and the delay in finalizing the portfolios had sparked speculation about internal disagreements.
The MahaYuti coalition, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, had secured a decisive victory in the November 20 assembly elections by winning 230 of 288 seats.