Maha Cabinet BJP is the winner, Shinde Group settles for the crumbs (Ld)

Mumbai 14 August : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has on Sunday assigned portfolios in the state Cabinet, which has 20 members, with allies Bharatiya Janata Party grabbing a majority of the sought-after ministerial positions.

Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister, is given a variety of large portfolios.This includes the vital Home, Finance and Planning, Law and Justice, Water Resources, Energy, Housing and Protocol.

The long-awaited distribution of portfolios took place just five days after the CM extended the Cabinet by appointing 18 ministers, including nine each of Shiv Sena Shinde Group and BJP however there arent any women in the cabinet at present, following Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in on June 30.The allocation to the portfolio was announced following the approval of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.This was even being the Leader of Opposition NCPs Ajit Pawar as well as the Congress and the Shiv Sena took regular potshots at Shinde-Fadnavis over the delay in the assignment of responsibilities to ministers.

The BJPs part in portfolios: Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil Revenue, Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Sudhir Mungantiwar Sudhir Mungantiwar Forests, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries Chandrakant Patil - Higher and Technical Education, Textiles and Parliamentary Affairs Vijaykumar Gavit - Tribal Development Girish Mahajan Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Medical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare Mangal Prabhat Lodha Tourism Entrepreneurship and Skill Development, Women and Child Development Ravindra Chavan - Public Works (excluding Public Enterprises), Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Atul Save - Cooperation, Other Backward and Bahujan Welfare Suresh Khade - Labour.Shinde Groups part in portfolios: Gulabrao Patil - Water Supply and Sanitation Dadaji Bhuse Dadaji Bhuse Ports and Mines Sanjay Rathod - Food and Drug Administration Sandipan Bhumre Sandipan Bhumre Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture Uday Samant - Industry Tanaji Sawant - Public Health and Family WelfareAbdul Sattar - Agriculture Deepak Kesarkar - School Education & Marathi Language Shambhuraj Desai - State Excise The other ministries that are not assigned to anyone will be managed by Shinde until the next round of Cabinet expansion, scheduled for the next Legislature Session.This includes Information and Public Relations; Marketing; Social Justice and Special Assistance as well as and Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation; Disaster Management; Soil and Water Conservation; Environment and Climate Change; Minority and Wakf.qn/ar.