Mumbai: A delegation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday to formally demand that the state finance portfolio be handed back to the NCP ahead of the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature.
Delegation presses for restoration of finance department
The group included senior NCP figures Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde and Hasan Mushrif, who called on the Chief Minister after a meeting of the party's core committee. The leaders said the finance ministry, which was originally assigned to the late deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar when the Mahayuti coalition was formed, should be returned to their party.
According to the delegation, Mr Fadnavis indicated that the finance portfolio would be restored to the NCP before the winter session begins in December. The portfolio was taken over by the Chief Minister after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash in January, with Mr Fadnavis citing the need to prepare and present the state budget in March; it has remained with him since.
Party leaders cite ongoing concerns among MLAs
Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal said the NCP MPs and legislators had been debating the issue and the core committee decided to take up the matter directly with the CM to avoid separate discussions and speculation.
"We said it’s been a long time now, and the finance portfolio that we had should now be given to our party again. There have been discussions among our MLAs over this. We felt it was not right to have separate discussions and speculation. Therefore, we have had positive discussions with CM Fadnavis on these issues."
Bhujbal also denied that the meeting touched on any merger between the two factions of the NCP, countering recent media and political speculation. He reiterated the party's stance that organisational strengthening remains the priority.
Cabinet reshuffle rumours dismissed
Responding to circulating rumours about a possible ministerial reshuffle that could see several NCP ministers replaced, Bhujbal described such reports as unfounded. "There are some rumours going on right now that four or five of our ministers will change... There is no truth to such things. There has been no discussion about it at all," he said.
Local impact and context
The demand to recover the finance department is significant because the ministry oversees budget preparation, allocations to sectors such as agriculture, rural development and social welfare, and financial oversight of state programmes. Restoring the portfolio to the NCP would shift control over these levers of policy and expenditure back to the party within the ruling alliance.
Sunetra Pawar currently holds key departments including state excise, sports and youth welfare, and minority affairs. Returning finance to the NCP could trigger portfolio realignments across the coalition, which may affect administrative continuity ahead of the winter legislative business.
- Delegation: Sunetra Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde, Hasan Mushrif
- Demand: Finance portfolio to be handed back to the NCP
- CM response: Assured the portfolio would be returned before the December winter session, according to the delegation
| Event | Timing / Note |
|---|---|
| Finance portfolio originally assigned to Ajit Pawar | When Mahayuti alliance was formed |
| Ajit Pawar's death | January (reported plane crash) |
| Fadnavis took charge of finance | To prepare and present state budget in March; remains with him |
For the NCP, which has repeatedly raised the issue at core committee meetings, regaining the finance department is not only a matter of administrative control but also of political visibility within the ruling alliance. The party has pushed the point several times in recent months as it seeks to consolidate its role in governance.
How quickly the transfer of responsibilities would take place, and whether it will involve interim arrangements or a formal swearing-in of a new finance minister from the NCP, remains to be seen. Any formal change before the winter session would require administrative notifications and possible reallocation of duties across departments.
The meeting underscores a broader pattern of portfolio negotiations within coalition governments, where control of finance ministries often becomes central to intra-alliance bargaining. Observers will watch forthcoming developments closely as the state approaches the winter legislative calendar.
