Day after Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle, Fadnavis pacifies disgruntled Pankaja Munde

A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reshuffled the state cabinet, Pankaja Munde tweeted saying she would not be attending the World Water Week in Singapore which begins on Sunday.

The CM, however, replied to her saying, she should attend it as a senior minister of the state government.

Of course you must attend WLS 2016.
As a senior Minister you would be representing 'The Government of Maharashtra'. https://t.co/czMYpLepMA

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 9, 2016

On late Saturday night, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis allocated portfolios to newly sworn-in ministers and reshuffled certain portfolios. 

In the reshuffle, Munde lost the water conservation department which went to Ram Shinde.  The rejig came as a setback for Munde as the Jalyukta Shivar scheme had received praise from the World Bank. 

On Sunday, Munde congratulated Shinde on getting the ministry.

Good luck Ram Shinde n Jaykumar Rawal i m happy u got very imp depts..jalyukta shivar is at peak u wil tk it as passion n mission i m sure.

— PankajaGopinathMunde (@Pankajamunde) July 10, 2016

As the water conservation minister, Munde had courted controversy in April by posting a selfie online. She had later said that she posted selfies on her tour of parched Latur on the weekend in appreciation of the work done there by the local administration for drought relief. The opposition had then accused Munde of gross insensitivity.

Pankaja was one of the aspirants among the state BJP leaders for the top post before the Assembly elections, relying on the "public sentiment" following her father's death in a car crash in June last year. In May 2015, she had said that the people of the state wanted to see her as Chief Minister.

Munde will continue to handle rural development, women and child development.  

With agency inputs.