Baramati: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has reiterated its claim to hold the Maharashtra Finance Portfolio, with state unit President and MP Sunil Tatkare citing the legacy of late Ajit Pawar who held the department before he died in an air crash earlier this year.
“We must get the Finance Portfolio. Because late Dada (Ajit Pawar) presented record-breaking budgets to this state. It was because of Dada that I got the opportunity to present the budget back in 2010. At that time, I presented the 50th budget,” Tatkare told reporters in Baramati on Tuesday after visiting the memorial of Pawar.
Pawar was the Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Maharashtra who died in an air crash on January 28 this year at Baramati.
NCP Leaders Reiterate Claims Ahead Of Winter Session
The comments come just days after NCP core committee which is headed by party President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, voted to write to Fadnavis to return the Finance Portfolio to the party at its meeting on October 25.
Later that day, NCP leaders also met the Chief Minister.
“We have to get back the Finance Portfolio. It was always our portion in the Mahayuti alliance. After the death of Ajit Pawar, it was given to Fadnavis on a temporary basis,” said senior NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
He said that the NCP delegation asked the Chief Minister for the portfolio. “He gave us a positive response and we are hopeful that it will be given back before the Winter Session,” he added.
“We only want the Finance Portfolio. We are not interested in swapping it for another department,” he added.
Delegation Meets Amit Shah
The party stepped up its claims on November 1 when a delegation of NCP leaders met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ask him to give back the Finance department.
The delegation consisted of NCP Working President Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde.
With the Winter Session of the Maharashtra Assembly due to take place next month, there are now hopes that the Finance Portfolio will be returned to the NCP.