The Indian National Congress politician Vilasrao Deshmukh formed his first government after the 1999 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election. The government consisted of Deshmukh's Congress party, Nationalist Congress Party, several smaller parties, and independent politicians. Deshmukh was sworn in on 18 October 1999 and continued as Chief Minister until his resignation on 16 January 2003.
Government formation The 1999 elections had returned Congress as the largest legislative party with 75 out of the State's 288 legislative assembly seats. Deshmukh, who had previously served as a cabinet minister in the State was subsequently supported by the Nationalist Congress Party, Peasants and Workers Party of India, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, Republican Party of India (Gavai), Republican Party of India (Athawale), Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (Secular), and Independents. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) supported the government from outside.
The ministry had initially consisted of 61 member. However, coalition partner NCP was concerned with the large size of the cabinet. As a compromise, Deshmukh agreed that his Congress party would drop one cabinet minister and three ministers of state, while the NCP would ask two of its junior ministers to resign.
List of ministers The cabinet consisted of 55 members - Deshmukh, his Deputy Chhagan Bhujbal, 24 cabinet ministers, and 29 ministers of state.
Cabinet ministers The following ministers were allocated portfolios in October 1999.
Ministers of state The ministers also included the following ministers of state. Minister of state Portfolio Party Manikrao Thakre Home Affairs (Rural), Employment Guarantee Scheme, and Parliamentary Affairs Congress Vasudhatai Pundlikrao Deshmukh Finance, Planning, and Public Works Congress Kripashankar Singh Home Affairs (Urban) and Medicines Congress Eknath Gaikwad Public Health, Medical Education, and Family Welfare Congress Balasaheb Thorat Public Works and Command Area Development Congress Chandrakant alias Balasaheb Shivarkar Public Works (Public Projects) and Excise Congress Anees Ahmed Higher and Technical Education Congress Rajendra Darda Energy and Tourism Congress Prakashanna Awade Textiles, Tribal Development, and Special Assistance Congress Basavraj Madhavrao Patil Rural Development Congress Mohammed Arif Khan Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection Congress A. T. Pawar Tribal welfare NCP Laxman Dhoble General Administration, Social Welfare, and Marketing NCP Babasaheb Kupekar Cooperation NCP Anil Deshmukh School Education, Information NCP Jaydattaji Kshirsagar Industries, Parliamentary Affairs, Trade and Commerce, and Mining NCP Hemant Deshmukh Labour, Employment and Self-employment NCP Vimal Mundada Women and Child Welfare, Law and Judiciary, Earthquake Rehabilitation and Relief NCP Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar Revenue and Rehabilitation NCP Sunil Tatkare Urban Development, Urban Land Ceiling, and Ports NCP Subhash Thakre Forests and Environment NCP N. P. Hirani Protocol and Prohibition Publicity NCP Meenakshi Patil Cultural Affairs and Fisheries Shekapa Mohan Mahadev Patil Horticulture, Nomadic Tribes, and Backward Class Development Shekapa Sulekha Kumbhare Water Supply and Cleanliness RPI(G) Dada Jadhavrao Agriculture, and Ex-servicemen's Welfare JD(S) Ajit Ghorpade Irrigation (Krishna Valley and Konkan Irrigation Corporation) Independent Sanjay Deshmukh Sports and Youth Affairs Independent Nawab Malik Housing, Slum Development, House Repairs, and Wakf SP Gangadhar Gade Transport RPI(A)
Guardian Ministers
Sr No. DistrictGuardian_MinisterParty 01 Ahmednagar Ashok Chavan (Cabinet Minister)United Progressive Alliance 02 Akola Vasant Chavan(Cabinet Minister) 03 Amravati Chhagan Bhujbal (Deputy Chief Minister) 04 Aurangabad Jayant Patil(Cabinet Minister) 05 Beed Dilip Walse-Patil(Cabinet Minister) 06 Bhandara Datta Meghe(Cabinet Minister) 07 Buldhana Husain Dalwai(Cabinet Minister) 08 Chandrapur Makhram Pawar(Cabinet Minister) 09 Dhule Surupsingh Hirya Naik(Cabinet Minister) 10 Gadchiroli R. R. Patil (Cabinet Minister) 11 Gondiya Ramkrishna More (Cabinet Minister) 12 Hingoli Anees Ahmed (Minister of State) 13 Jalgaon Anand Devkate(Cabinet Minister) 14 Jalna Vilas Patil (Cabinet Minister) 15Kolhapur Satish Chaturvedi(Cabinet Minister) 16Latur Jaywantrao Awale(Cabinet Minister) 17 Mumbai City R. R. Patil(Cabinet Minister) 18 Mumbai Suburban Ranjeet Deshmukh(Cabinet Minister) 19Nagpur Patangrao Kadam(Cabinet Minister) 20 Nanded Ashok Chavan(Cabinet Minister)21 Nandurbar Surupsingh Hirya Naik(Cabinet Minister)22 Nashik Chhagan Bhujbal (Deputy Chief Minister)23 Osmanabad Padamsinh Patil(Cabinet Minister)25 Parbhani Balasaheb Thorat (Minister of State)26 Pune Ajit Pawar(Cabinet Minister)27 RaigadRohidas Patil (Cabinet Minister)28 Ratnagiri Ganpatrao Deshmukh (Cabinet Minister)29 Sangli Patangrao Kadam (Cabinet Minister)30 Satara Vikramsinh Patankar(Cabinet Minister)31 Sindhudurg Eknath Gaikwad(Minister of State)32SolapurVijaysinh Mohite-Patil (Cabinet Minister)33Thane Husain Dalwai(Cabinet Minister)34Wardha Shivajirao Moghe(Cabinet Minister)35Washim Jaywantrao Awale(Cabinet Minister)36Yavatmal Madhukar Pichad (Cabinet Minister)
References