Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was given the Finance portfolio in the state cabinet expansion, while NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal secured the Food and Civil Supply portfolio. The cabinet expansion comes 12 days after nine MLAs of the NCP, including Pawar, were sworn in as ministers in the present Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.
Following the cabinet expansion, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar arrived at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence Silver Oak in Mumbai late Friday. “I went to Silver Oak on Friday evening to meet Pratibha Pawar (Sharad Pawar’s wife) since she underwent surgery. Pawar Saheb and Supriya (Sule) were also there. Politics is there, but family has special significance,” Pawar said today."I will meet prime minister Narendra Modi on July 18. We will also attend the NDA's meeting," NCP leader Ajit Pawar said. Pawar and Praful Patel would attend the NDA's meeting on Tuesday. After Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde government, there were speculations about what portfolios would be awarded to the NCP ministers. A standoff between the Ajit Pawar camp and the Eknath Shinde faction delayed the Cabinet expansion for weeks.