A DAY after joining the government of Maharashtra led by chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar met with his Bharatiya Janata Party counterpart Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the allocation of cabinet portfolios and legal aspects related to the new alliance, sources said.
On Sunday (2), Pawar led a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), one of the major opposition parties in Maharashtra, to become the deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the government.
NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare, Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal were also present in Monday's meeting held at 'Meghdoot' bungalow, the official residence of Fadnavis in state capital Mumbai, they said.
The meeting lasted for about an hour.
“The meeting was about the distribution of portfolios. The leaders also discussed legal aspects and impending challenges before this new alliance,” a source close to Pawar said, according to a PTI report.
“The allocation of portfolios would be finalised by Tuesday (4) evening,” the source said.
In the past, Pawar held portfolios such as water resources department, power and finance. Currently, all the three portfolios are with Fadnavis, who also holds charge of the state home department.
The next state cabinet meeting is likely to be held on Wednesday (5).
(With PTI inputs)
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images
