New Delhi, Jul 13 (IANS): Taking a dig at the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra over delay in portfolio allocation to the new ministers, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Thursday likened the triple-engine dispensation to a three-legged animal running a 100 meter race and advised them to declare the new entrants as "ministers without portfolios".

"Chief Minister (Eknath Shinde) and his two Deputies (Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar) of Maharashtra claim that their's is a triple-engine government. To me it seems like a three-legged animal which is running a 100 metre race," the Congress leader tweeted in Hindi.

"Nine new ministers in Maharashtra are sitting idle as they are yet to get their portfolios. None of the other 20 ministers, including Fadnavis, are willing to give up any portfolio. There is a solution: declare the new comers as ministers without portfolio. The nine new entrants joined the government to be ministers. Who said they wanted to be ministers with portfolios?" the former union minister quipped.

Chidambaram's remarks came in the wake of no portfolio being allotted to the newly-inducted NCP Ministers in the state cabinet.

Recently, Ajit Pawar led a revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), joined the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and took oath as Deputy CM of Maharashtra.

Along with him eight party MLAs also took oath as Ministers in the state government.

On Wednesday night, Ajit Pawar, along with party leader Praful Patel, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital.