In Eknath Shinde Cabinet, Deputy Devendra Fadnavis Gets Home, Finance

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis scored the big ministries of Home and Finance as cabinet roles were handed out in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s government seven weeks after he took oath.

Mr Shinde, who expanded his two-member cabinet on Tuesday by inducting 18 ministers, has kept the Urban Development portfolio with himself.

A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said Fadnavis will also handle the Finance and Planning ministry, and 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.

Former state BJP president Chandrakant Patil is the new minister for higher and technical education, He will also look after parliamentary affairs.

From the Eknath Shinde camp of Shiv Sena rebels, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for school education, while Abdul Sattar has been given the Agriculture portfolio.