# First Deshmukh ministry

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.
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Chief Minister. General Administration Information and Publicity Information Technology Urban Development Departments or portfolios not allocated to any minister. | Vilasrao Deshmukh | 18 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Deputy Chief Minister Home Social Justice (18 October 1999 – 3 May 2001) Special Assistance (18 October 1999 – 3 May 2001) Majority Welfare Development | Chhagan Bhujbal | 18 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Environment Forests State Border Defence (First) | Surupsingh Hirya Naik | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Industries Mining Department Soil and Water Conservation (19 October 1999 – 02 March 2001) | Patangrao Kadam | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Revenue Protocol | Ashok Chavan | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Labour Minority Development and Aukaf Ports | Husain Dalwai | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Social Welfare / Social Justice (03 May 2001 – 16 January 2003) Women and Child Development (19 October 1999 – 09 September 2001) Nomadic Tribes Development Special Backward Classes Welfare Skill Development, Entrepreneurship Other Backward Bahujan Welfare | Jaywantrao Awale | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Transport Employment and Self-employment Employment Guarantee (09 September 2001 – 16 January 2003) | Shivajirao Moghe | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Irrigation Energy Command Area Development Socially And Educationally *Backward Classes Soil and Water Conservation (02 March 2001 – 16 January 2003) | Padamsinh Patil | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Public Works (Excluding Public Undertakings) State Border Defence (Second) | Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Tribal Development Special Assistance (03 May 2001 – 16 January 2003) | Madhukar Pichad | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Horticulture Irrigation (Krishna Valley Development) Irrigation (Konkan Valley Development) | Ajit Pawar | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Public Works (Including Public Undertakings) Co-operation | Vikramsinh Patankar | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Marketing Employment Guarantee (19 October 1999 – 09 September 2001) Tourism Woman and Child Development (09 September 2001 – 16 January 2003) | Ganpatrao Deshmukh | 19 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | PWPI |
| *Housing House Repairs and Reconstruction Parliamentary Affairs | Rohidas Patil | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Agriculture Textile Khar Land Development | Ranjeet Deshmukh | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Law and Judiciary Earthquake Rehabilitation Relief And Rehabilitation Ex-servicemen's Welfare | Vilas Patil | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Animal Husbandry Dairy Development | Anand Devkate | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister School Education Sports and Youth Welfare Cultural Affairs Marathi Language | Ramkrishna More | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| Cabinet Minister Food and Civil Supplies Consumer Protection Food and Drug Administration | Datta Meghe | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Excise Medicinal Drugs Vimukta Jati Other Backward Classes | Vasant Chavan | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Public Health and Family Welfare Medical Education | Digvijay Khanvilkar | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Rural Development Panchayat Raj Water Supply Cleanliness | R. R. Patil | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Higher and Technical Education | Dilip Walse-Patil | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Finance Planning | Jayant Patil | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | NCP |
| Cabinet Minister Trade Commerce Fisheries | Makhram Pawar | 27 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | BBM |
| Cabinet Minister Minister without Portfolio, *Disaster Management | Satish Chaturvedi | 27 October 1999 | 31 October 1999 | INC |

### 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 Shivarkar | Public Works (Public Projects) and Excise | Congress |
| Anees Ahmed | Higher and Technical Education | Congress |
| Rajendra Darda | Energy and Tourism | Congress |
| Prakash 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, Sports and Youth Affairs | 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 |
| Nawab Malik | Housing, Slum Development, House Repairs, and Wakf | SP |
| Gangadhar Gade | Transport | RPI(A) |

## Guardian Ministers

| Sr No. | District | Guardian_Minister | Party |
| 01 | Ahmednagar | Ashok Chavan (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 02 | Akola | Vasant Chavan (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 03 | Amravati | Chhagan Bhujbal (Deputy Chief Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 04 | Aurangabad | Jayant Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 05 | Beed | Dilip Walse-Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 06 | Bhandara | Datta Meghe (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 07 | Buldhana | Husain Dalwai (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 08 | Chandrapur | Makhram Pawar (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 09 | Dhule | Surupsingh Hirya Naik (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 10 | Gadchiroli | R. R. Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 11 | Gondiya | Ramkrishna More (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 12 | Hingoli | Anees Ahmed (Minister of State) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 13 | Jalgaon | Anand Devkate (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 14 | Jalna | Vilas Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 15 | Kolhapur | Satish Chaturvedi (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 16 | Latur | Jaywantrao Awale (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 17 | Mumbai City | R. R. Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 18 | Mumbai Suburban | Ranjeet Deshmukh (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 19 | Nagpur | Patangrao Kadam (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 20 | Nanded | Ashok Chavan (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 21 | Nandurbar | Surupsingh Hirya Naik (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 22 | Nashik | Chhagan Bhujbal (Deputy Chief Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 23 | Osmanabad | Padamsinh Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 25 | Parbhani | Balasaheb Thorat (Minister of State) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 26 | Pune | Ajit Pawar (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 27 | Raigad | Rohidas Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 28 | Ratnagiri | Ganpatrao Deshmukh (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 29 | Sangli | Patangrao Kadam (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 30 | Satara | Vikramsinh Patankar (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 31 | Sindhudurg | Eknath Gaikwad (Minister of State) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 32 | Solapur | Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 33 | Thane | Husain Dalwai (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 34 | Wardha | Shivajirao Moghe (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 35 | Washim | Jaywantrao Awale (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |
| 36 | Yavatmal | Madhukar Pichad (Cabinet Minister) | United Progressive Alliance |