Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 12: In a significant development, the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has amended the rules to include deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde in the State disaster management committee. The move comes just days after Shinde was left out of the reconstituted panel, a decision that sparked controversy.
The government’s decision to tweak the Maharashtra disaster management rules, 2019, now ensures that both deputy chief ministers—Shinde and Ajit Pawar—are part of the crucial panel. According to officials from the relief and rehabilitation department, Pawar had been inducted into the committee as finance minister, not in his capacity as deputy CM. However, following backlash over Shinde’s exclusion, the government opted to revise the rules to accommodate him.
This episode is the latest in the ongoing tussle between the BJP and its ally, Shiv Sena, within the ruling coalition. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has increasingly asserted his dominance, side-lining Shinde on multiple fronts. Recently, Fadnavis ordered a probe into the procurement of MSRTC buses during Shinde’s tenure as chief minister and transport minister. Additionally, he appointed an IAS officer to head MSRTC, a role traditionally held by the transport minister—a portfolio currently with a Sena leader.
The unrest within Shiv Sena has been growing, with leaders voicing concerns over interference in their departments. Industries Minister Uday Samant recently expressed dissatisfaction over decisions being made without his input, while Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik was denied the MSRTC chairmanship. In response to mounting tensions, Shiv Sena ministers sought a meeting with Fadnavis after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting to address their grievances. Sources indicate that the chief minister assured them that the issues would be resolved amicably.
Meanwhile, further discord emerged over the appointment of guardian ministers for key districts. Sena leader Bharat Gogawale, who has been vying for the Raigad district guardian ministership, skipped a district annual plan meeting chaired by Ajit Pawar. Additionally, two Sena MLAs from Raigad, Mahendra Dalvi and Mahendra Thorve, claimed they were not invited to the meeting. The ongoing dispute has delayed the appointment of NCP’s Aditi Tatkare as Raigad guardian minister and BJP’s Girish Mahajan for Nashik.
Commenting on the situation, Ajit Pawar maintained that the final decision on guardian minister appointments rests with the chief minister. “He will take a call at the appropriate time. Moreover, it is incorrect to say that Shiv Sena MLAs and ministers were absent from the district plan meeting. MLAs are not typically invited to such meetings, and Gogawale had prior commitments,” he clarified.
As tensions persist within the Mahayuti alliance, political observers see these developments as a reflection of the ongoing power struggle in Maharashtra’s ruling coalition.