Tension brewing in Mahayuti over Guardian Minister post

The Maharashtra government has been forced to put a stay on the appointment of Guardian Ministers of two districts after the Shiv Sena expressed its strong displeasure by protesting on the roads in Raigad.

Tensions have been brewing within the Mahayuti alliance as the Shiv Sena wanted its minister Bharat Gogawale to get the Guardian Minister post of Raigad, the state government, however, gave it to NCP minister Aditi Tatkare. Similarly, the Shiv Sena wanted the Nashik district for its minister Dada Bhuse but it went to BJP's Girish Mahajan.

The Shiv Sena was quite keen on these two districts as it considers them to be its strong hold. On Sunday, irate Shiv Sena workers burnt effigies and blocked roads over the issue in Raigad. The Shiv Sena supporters loyal to Gogawale tried to even block the Mumbai-Goa highway. A protest was also held in Nashik. In light of this, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who is in Davos for the World Economic Forum meeting, has decided to put the appointment of Guardian Minister in the two districts on hold. Gogawale had already openly expressed his displeasure after the government announced the Guardian Ministers for 36 districts. "I am not happy, this is not acceptable... I am unable to digest this. I should have got the Guardian Minister post for Raigad," said Gogawale.


The Raigad Guardian Minister post is a crucial one as state NCP president Sunil Tatkare and Gogawale are rivals in local politics and the Guardian Minister post helps establish the party's footprint in the district. A Guardian Minister is a key post where the minister chairs meetings that decide how the district development funds are to be spent.

Slamming the Shiv Sena, Tatkare said, "It is not in our culture to burn tyres."

Not just Gogawale, rumours are also going around that even Shiv Sena leader and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde is also upset. As Shinde is in his village in Daregaon in Satara has led to speculation. Shinde though denied that he was upset. "Whenever I come to work here, people claim I am upset. I have come here to do work, I am not upset," said Shinde. He, however, added that Gogawale and Bhuse were upset. "There is nothing wrong in expecting the Guardian Minister's post. He (Gogawale) has worked for several years in Raigad, there is nothing wrong in asking. The three of us, chief minister and deputy chief minister (Ajit Pawar) will sit together and come up with a solution to this," said Shinde.

In Nashik too, the Shiv Sena wants the district for itself. Keen to avoid any more tensions, especially as he would be in Davos, Fadnavis has put a stay on the decision for the two districts which will be taken after he is back.