Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar’s younger son Jay Pawar said in Baramati on Monday that the finance portfolio, which is presently held by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will return to the Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
“Everybody has been saying that our party has not yet received the finance portfolio, due to which our development work has stopped in some places. However, this is not the case. Ajit Dada (who used to be Maharashtra finance minister) left us suddenly and immediately after that there was a budget. Therefore, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis decided to keep the finance portfolio with him. But a few days ago, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, MP Parth Pawar and all of us had a discussion. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told us that the finance portfolio will be given to us as soon as possible. Also, we will try to fulfill Ajit Pawar’s dream regarding development work,” Jay Pawar said at an event in Baramati.
Presently, Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar manages excise, sports, minority development and Waqf Board departments, though the crucial finance and planning portfolios continue to remain under the direct control of Fadnavis.
A few days ago, when media persons asked Fadnavis about whether he would give the finance portfolio to the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Fadnavis had said, “I have not yet been asked about the finance portfolio. However, if I am asked, I will tell you. I have not received any reports of such displeasure. If any such reports reach me, I will speak about it.”
During a press conference held on June 12, after media persons asked Fadnavis the same question, he replied, “Right now, the finance portfolio is with me”.
Later, sources had stated that the BJP plans to offer another portfolio to the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP in exchange for the finance portfolio, since the party believes that the finance portfolio must be handled strictly due to the state’s weak financial condition. “The BJP is likely to offer either the rural development department or energy department instead of the finance department,” sources had informed.
However, even aas recently as June 6, the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP had formally requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to return the high-profile finance portfolio, once held by the late Ajit Pawar, to Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar before the monsoon session of the legislative assembly begins on June 22.
Senior NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare even met Fadnavis to press the demand, and argued that the finance portfolio traditionally belonged to their party under the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance agreement. After this episode, sources said that Fadnavis had assured the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NC that he would consider the matter “seriously”.
It may be recalled that Fadnavis had assumed control of the finance portfolio after the death of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. While his wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra’s first woman deputy chief minister on January 31, she was not allocated finance or planning portfolios, which were kept by Fadnavis.
Later, the demand for the return of the finance portfolio was unanimously backed during a recent Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP meeting in Mumbai chaired by Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar herself.