Maharashtra portfolio distribution likely to be held today: Nitin Raut

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Nitin Raut said that the process of allocation of portfolios among the ministers is likely to be completed on Saturday. Speaking to ANI here, Raut said that leaders of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena prepared a draft list of Cabinet portfolios on Friday. "The final draft list has been sent to the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray). I believe that this will be released today," he said. 

However, NCP leader and minister Nawab Malik said that the distribution of portfolios will be completed by Monday." The reason for the delay is not due to anything else but because we are considering creating new departments. So it's taking time. Portfolios will be allocated by Monday," Malik said.

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Rumours were rife that over-ambition of Congress was to be blamed for the delay of portfolio distribution.

However, it has now been refuted by Malik who said no party was behind the delay. Uddhav's son and first-time MLA Aaditya Thackeray will be given the proposed department looking after the operations of CMO, according to talks in political circles of Maharashtra. Meanwhile, sources said that Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar has offered to quit as minister of state.