Mumbai: A day after announcements of guardian ministers in Maharashtra, resentment in the BJP-led Mahayuti has grown. The supporters of Shiv Sena cabinet minister Bharatshet Gogawale torched tyres on Mumbai-Goa Highway for not getting Raigad district guardian minister’s post. Ajit Pawar-led NCP minister Aditi Tatkare got the post, which has not gone down well with Shiv Sena.
Mr. Gogawale openly expressed displeasure stating that the announcement of guardian minister of the Raigad district shocked him. Shiv Sena Alibag MLA Mahendra Dalvi said that there is a resentment among the Shiv Sena workers and office bearers as far in Raigad.
In Maharashtra, a cabinet minister is made a guardian minister of a particular district, which means he or she is responsible for the overall development of the district and responsible for implementing schemes in the district. He or she is also the ex-officio of chairperson of DPDC (District Planning and Development Council) funds, which are allocated for development and beautification projects. The DPDC is also responsible for addressing issues of common interest between panchayats (local government bodies) and municipalities, such as infrastructure development, resource sharing and environmental protection. This gives control over the government spendings in the district, because of which the position has become important for all parties in the district.
Devendra Fadnavis led government on Saturday night announced names of the guardian ministers for 36 districts. The announcement came after a month of the allocation of portfolios. Fadnavis has become the first chief minister in Maharashtra to keep the guardian minister’s post. He was named the guardian minister of the Naxal affected Gadchiroli district, while his first deputy Eknath Shinde was named as guardian minister of Mumbai city as well as Thane and second deputy Ajit Pawar will oversee Beed and Pune districts.
The government has named Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare as guardian minister of Raigad district by overlooking Bharatshet Gogawale, who has been lobbying hard to get it. After becoming minister of Horticulture and Salt Pan Land Development portfolio in December 2024, Mr. Gogawale had also visited Siddhivinayak Temple where he had prayed for the post of guardian minister of Raigad district.
Shiv Sena workers raised slogans against the NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare, who is also Lok Sabha member from Raigad. They torched tyres on Mumbai-Goa Highway on Saturday late night and brought the traffic to a standstill for two hours.
Shiv Sena MLA Mahendra Dalvi said that they were shocked. Mr Gogawale has been elected four times MLA and now cabinet minister. “The people of Raigad wished that Mr. Gogawale would be appointed Raigad district guardian minister. Now there is a huge resentment among the party workers and office bearers,” Mr. Dalvi said.
The MLA further claimed that two and half years ago, they had revolted in Raigad district against Aditi Tatkare who was the guardian minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. Following this, the Thackeray government collapsed and the Eknath Shinde government came to power in the state, he said.
Mr. Dalvi further said that it is not appropriate to give the responsibility to the NCP as the Sena has three MLAs, while NCP has sole MLA in the district.
Ms Tatkare said that all constituents of Mahayuti will be taken into confidence before doing any work in the Raigad district. “I will carry out work in the district by coordinating with the MLAs of BJP and Shiv Sena along with the office bearers of RPI,” she said.