NCP must get Nashik guardian minister post: Bhujbal

Girish Mahajan, who currently oversees affairs in the district, said he would be the guardian minister

Mumbai: Minister for food, civil supplies and consumer protection and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday intervened in the ongoing tussle between his party and the Shiv Sena over guardian ministership of Nashik and Raigad districts by staking claim to the post of the Nashik guardian minister.

Chhagan Bhujbal (HT Photo)

“Our party has seven legislators in the district. So we should get the guardian minister’s post,” Bhujbal told reporters.

At present, the BJP’s Girish Mahajan looks after affairs of the district.

The tussle over guardian ministership between NCP and Shiv Sena erupted a week before Republic Day this year, when the Mahayuti government named BJP’s Girish Mahajan and NCP’s Aditi Tatkare as guardian minister for Nashik and Raigad, respectively.

The move deeply upset the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which had staked claim to both posts and proposed school education minister Dada Bhuse and employment guarantee minister Bharat Gogawale as guardian minister for Nashik and Raigad, respectively.

Gogawale’s supporters hit the streets after the government named the two guardian ministers while Shinde contacted the BJP’s leadership in Delhi and forced chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to put the decisions on hold. Mahajan and Tatkare were, however, allowed to hoist the national flag in Nashik and Raigad on Republic Day.

The tussle came to the fore again ahead of Independence Day, when Bhujbal was given responsibility of hoisting the tricolour in Gondia district. Bhujbal, who was keen to hoist the flag in Nashik, conveyed his inability to go to Gondia due to health problems.

On Sunday, Bhujbal stirred the row again, saying though his party had been insisting on the Raigad guardian minister’s post, it had only one MLA in the district. In Nashik, on the other hand, the party held seven out of 15 assembly seats.

“I will tell my party that we should insist on the Nashik guardian minister’s post,” Bhujbal said. “I will speak about this with deputy chief minister (and NCP chief) Ajit Pawar and (NCP) state president Sunil Tatkare.”

Girish Mahajan, who currently oversees affairs in the district, said he would be the guardian minister. Mahajan was speaking at a programme in Dhule.