As expected, Ajit Pawar and his colleagues got a good deal in portfolio allocation on Friday, with the deputy chief minister having claimed the finance and planning department, notwithstanding opposition from the Shiv Sena and a section of the BJP.  In a power bargain with NCP, the third ally, the BJP parted with more than Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, which reshuffled its portfolios on Friday. 

In addition to finance for Ajit, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction`s eight other ministers bagged `mass-appeal` departments such as agriculture, cooperation, medical education, women and child welfare, food and civil supplies, food and drugs administration, medical education, relief, rehabilitation and disaster management. The allocation took place 12 days after the new ministers were sworn in, apparently because of disagreement between the partners over sharing power. Sources said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command had already committed to give NCP good departments, and it did as well. However, the Shinde Sena saved as much, but could not prevent the loss of agriculture and FDA departments.