NCP pushes to reclaim Maharashtra Finance Portfolio, invokes Ajit Pawar legacy
Synopsis
The NCP is mounting a coordinated push to reclaim Maharashtra's Finance Portfolio from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — invoking the legacy of the late Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in January. With a delegation already having met Amit Shah on 1 November, and the Winter Session weeks away, the alliance's internal fault line over this coveted ministry is heading toward a reckoning.
Key Takeaways
Sunil Tatkare on 10 November reiterated NCP's claim to Maharashtra's Finance Portfolio , currently held by CM Devendra Fadnavis .
The demand follows an NCP core committee meeting on 25 October , chaired by Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar , which formally sought the portfolio's return.
Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal said Fadnavis 'responded positively' and hoped for reallocation before the Winter Session .
NCP leaders including Praful Patel , Tatkare, Bhujbal, Mushrif, Walse Patil, and Munde met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 1 November over the demand.
The NCP insists it wants only the Finance Portfolio and is not open to swapping it for another department.
Maharashtra's Winter Session is due next month, making the portfolio decision time-sensitive.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Maharashtra unit President and Member of Parliament Sunil Tatkare on Tuesday, 10 November renewed his party's demand for the Finance Portfolio, currently held by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, citing the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's record as the state's foremost finance minister. Tatkare made the remarks at Baramati after paying tribute at Ajit Pawar's memorial — the same town where the former Deputy Chief Minister died in a plane crash on 28 January this year.
Tatkare's tribute and claim
Speaking to reporters following his visit to Ajit Pawar's memorial, Tatkare said, '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.'
The statement underscores the NCP's view that the Finance Ministry sits squarely within the party's historical and political domain — a claim rooted in Ajit Pawar's long tenure overseeing Maharashtra's finances.
What the NCP core committee decided
Tatkare's remarks follow an NCP core committee meeting on 25 October, chaired by party President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, which formally resolved to request Chief Minister Fadnavis to return the finance department to the party. NCP leaders met Fadnavis on the same day to press the demand.
Senior NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal, briefing reporters after that meeting, stated that the Finance Portfolio had originally belonged to the NCP's quota within the Mahayuti alliance. Following Ajit Pawar's death, Fadnavis temporarily assumed charge of the department.
What Bhujbal said after meeting Fadnavis
Bhujbal indicated a broadly constructive response from the Chief Minister. 'The Chief Minister responded positively and expressed hope that the portfolio reallocation would take place before the Winter Session. The delegation emphasised that the NCP was strictly asking for the Finance Portfolio and was not interested in swapping or taking any other department,' he said.
Notably, the NCP's position is unambiguous — it is not seeking an alternative department as compensation, signalling that the Finance Ministry is a non-negotiable ask for the party's continued comfort in the alliance.
NCP delegation meets Amit Shah
The campaign escalated further when a senior NCP delegation — comprising party Working President Praful Patel, Tatkare, ministers Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, and former ministers Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde — called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 1 November to press for the Finance Ministry's return to the NCP.
The decision to approach Shah, widely regarded as the Mahayuti alliance's central power broker, reflects the seriousness with which the NCP is pursuing this demand at the highest levels of the coalition.
What happens before the Winter Session
Maharashtra's Winter Session is scheduled for next month, and the question of whether the Finance Portfolio is reassigned before then has become a key political test for the Mahayuti government. A budget presentation by the Finance Minister early in the new calendar year would make the portfolio's allocation a matter of immediate operational consequence — not merely symbolic politics.
Whether Chief Minister Fadnavis acts on what Bhujbal described as a 'positive' signal before the session begins will determine how the NCP frames its standing within the ruling alliance going forward.
Point of View
With its budget-day visibility and patronage levers, is the most legible such symbol. The escalation to Amit Shah is telling: it signals the NCP does not fully trust a bilateral resolution with Fadnavis. If the portfolio is not returned before the Winter Session, the optics for the NCP become difficult to manage — and the narrative of a diminished junior partner hardens heading into the next electoral cycle.
NationPress
10 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is NCP demanding the Finance Portfolio from CM Devendra Fadnavis?
The NCP argues the Finance Portfolio originally belonged to its quota in the Mahayuti alliance, held by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar before his death in a plane crash on 28 January. With Fadnavis temporarily assuming the department, the NCP wants it formally returned to the party.
What was the outcome of NCP's meeting with CM Fadnavis on 25 October?
Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said CM Fadnavis responded positively and expressed hope that the portfolio reallocation would happen before the Winter Session. The NCP delegation made clear it was asking only for the Finance Portfolio and not seeking any alternative department.
Why did the NCP delegation meet Amit Shah on 1 November?
A senior NCP delegation including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil, and Dhananjay Munde met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 1 November to press for the Finance Ministry's return, reflecting the centrality of Shah's role as the Mahayuti alliance's power broker.
When is Maharashtra's Winter Session, and why does it matter for this issue?
Maharashtra's Winter Session is scheduled for next month. The timing is significant because a finance minister would need to be in place ahead of budget preparations in early 2026, making the portfolio's reassignment an operationally urgent decision.
Who is Sunil Tatkare?
Sunil Tatkare is the NCP Maharashtra unit President and a Member of Parliament. He is a close associate of the late Ajit Pawar and has been one of the most vocal advocates for the NCP's claim to the Finance Portfolio within the Mahayuti alliance.
