Uddhav Thackeray strips rebel ministers of portfolios

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is facing a massive mutiny in the Shiv Sena ranks, has stripped nine rebel ministers of their portfolios. Among these nine are five Cabinet Ministers and four Ministers of State.

The responsibilities of these rebel ministers, now stationed at a hotel in Guwahati along with other rebel MLAs, have been redistributed among other ministers so that "public welfare work did not stall", an order said.

The portfolios of Urban Development and Public Works department, earlier with the rebel group leader Eknath Shinde, have been handed over to Subhash Desai now.

Rebel minister Gulabrao Patil has been stripped of the charges of Water Supply and Sanitation. The portfolios have been handed over to Anil Parab.

The portfolios of Agriculture and Welfare of Ex-Servicemen, earlier with Dadaji Bhuse, and of Employment Guarantee and Horticulture, held by Sandeepan Bhumare, are now with Shankar Gadakh.

The Higher Education and Technical Education portfolios held by Uday Sawant have been handed over to Aaditya Thackeray.

Uddhav Thackeray has also cracked down on Ministers of State.

Three portfolios of Shambhuraj Desai have been distributed among Sanjay Bansode, Satej Patil and Vishwajit Kadam. Four ministries with Rajendra Patil (Yadravkar) have been distributed among Vishwajeet Kadam, Prajakt Tanpure, Satej Patil and Aditi Tatkare.

Three portfolios with Abdul Sattar are now with Prajakt Tanpure, Satej Patil and Aditi Tatkare. Four charges with Omprakash Kudu were distributed among Aditi Tatkare, Satej Patil, Sanjay Bansode and Dattatray Bharne.