Fadnavis gets Home; Shinde to handle Urban Development

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday allocated the crucial Home portfolio to Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

Shinde, who expanded his two-member cabinet on August 9 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 Shinde-led group of Shiv Sena rebels, Deepak Kesarkar is the new minister for school education, while Abdul Sattar has been given the Agriculture portfolio.