NCP Decides To Keep Nawab Malik As Minister, But Hands Over His Portfolios To Party Colleagues

The NCP has decided to "temporarily" give charge of portfolios held by jailed Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik to his cabinet colleagues from the party, but the ruling coalition partner will not seek his resignation, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said.

Written by: India.com News Desk Edited by: Analiza Pathak

Published: March 18, 2022, 11:31 AM IST

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NCP Decides To Keep Nawab Malik As Maharashtra Minister, Hands Over His Portfolios To Party Colleagues

Mumbai: After three weeks since the arrest of Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided to take away his portfolios. The portfolios will be “temporarily” given to his cabinet colleagues from the party but the ruling coalition partner will not seek his resignation, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said on Thursday. The 62-year-old NCP leader held the Minority Affairs and the Skill Development portfolios in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government.

For the unversed, Nawab Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in late February in connection with a money laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He has been in judicial custody since.

Patil, who is also the NCP’s Maharashtra unit president, said the party’s decision will be conveyed to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who, he added, will take the final call in this regard.

Interacting with media persons here after attending a meeting called by NCP president Sharad Pawar to discuss the issue, Patil maintained the party will not take Malik’s resignation as the latter “was arrested in a wrong manner”.

The meeting took place at Sharad Pawar’s residence. It was attended by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil and party’s senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, besides Mr Patil. Mr Malik, a senior NCP leader, is a cabinet minister who holds minority affairs and skill development portfolios in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government.

Malik, who heads the NCP’s Mumbai unit, is also the guardian minister for Parbhani and Gondia districts.

“His bail plea was rejected once again (recently). Hence, the charge of his responsibilities (portfolios) will be given to others in the next two to four days. We have decided to make this alternate temporary arrangement until he is available again,” Mr Patil said.

He said the details as to who will get charge of Malik’s portfolios will be declared after the same is informed to the chief minister first.

According to sources, the NCP may give the charge of minority affairs portfolio to Housing Development Minister Jitendra Awhad. The charge of the skill development department may go to Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif, they added.

Patil said the charge of Malik’s guardian ministerships of Parbhani and Gondia will be given to Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde and Minister of State for Urban Development Prajakt Tanpure, respectively. A formal request in this regard will be made to the chief minister, who will take a final call, the NCP minister added.

Patil further said Malik will continue to remain the party’s Mumbai unit chief.

(With PTI inputs)