NCP Reasserts Claim to Maharashtra Finance Department Following Ajit Pawars Death

Baramati, November 10 (Daily Kiran) : Sunil Tatkare, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, reiterated his party’s claim to the Finance Department on Tuesday. This statement comes in the wake of the tragic death of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28 of this year. Currently, the department is under the purview of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking to reporters at a memorial for Ajit Pawar in Baramati, Tatkare asserted, “We should be given the Finance Department. The late ‘Dada’ (Ajit Pawar) presented record-breaking budgets for the state. Thanks to Dada, I had the opportunity to present the budget in 2010, marking my 50th budget presentation.”

Tatkare’s remarks follow a meeting of the NCP core committee held on October 25. During this meeting, chaired by party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, it was decided to request Chief Minister Fadnavis to return the Finance Department to the NCP. Subsequently, NCP leaders met with Fadnavis on the same day to formally express this demand.

After the meeting with the Chief Minister, senior NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal informed reporters that the Finance Department originally belonged to the NCP within the ‘Mahayuti’ coalition. Following Ajit Pawar’s passing, Fadnavis temporarily took charge of the department.

Bhujbal stated, “A delegation from the NCP met with the Chief Minister to request the return of the Finance Ministry. The Chief Minister responded positively, expressing hope that the redistribution of departments would occur before the winter session.” He clarified that the NCP is solely interested in reclaiming the Finance Department and is not seeking any other departments or exchanges.

On November 1, a group of NCP leaders, including party executive president Praful Patel, Tatkare, Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, former ministers Dilip Walse Patil, and Dhananjay Munde, met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to press for the return of the Finance Department to the NCP.

With the state’s winter session approaching, it remains to be seen whether the Finance Department will be returned to the NCP prior to the session.