Protest outside Shinde’s bungalow to demand Raigad guardian ministership for Gogawale

Two MLAS from Raigad district, Mahendra Thorwe (Karjat) and Mahendra Dalvi (Alibag) are supporting Gogawale

MUMBAI: Scores of supporters of Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) minister and Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale put up a show of strength outside deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s bungalow Muktagiri in South Mumbai on Tuesday evening. Gogawale’s votaries were upset that he was not made the guardian minister of Raigad district, which post had gone to Aditi Tatkare of the NCP instead.

Protest outside Shinde’s bungalow to demand Raigad guardian ministership for Gogawale

Two MLAS from Raigad district, Mahendra Thorwe (Karjat) and Mahendra Dalvi (Alibag) are supporting Gogawale and told the CM that a call needed to be taken on the issue soon.

Ever since the list of guardian ministers was announced last weekend, Shiv Sena leaders have been protesting against the appointment of women and child welfare minister Tatkare as the Raigad guardian minister and irrigation minister Girish Mahajan (BJP) as the Nashik guardian minister. Education minister Dada Bhuse wanted the Nashik guardian ministership, as he was earlier a guardian minister of the district.

Following the protests, an upset deputy CM Eknath Shinde retreated to his village, Dare. Late on Saturday evening, supporters of Gogawale blocked the Mumbai-Goa highway and threw burning tyres on the road in protest.

Due to the pressure applied by Shinde, the two appointments were stayed, but Tatkare and Mahajan have been allowed to unfurl the national flag in their respective districts on January 26.

The Gogawale and Tatkare families have been at loggerheads for a very long time. When Tatkare was made a minister in the earlier government, Gogawale was irked and created a ruckus at the CM’s residence Varsha, due to which Shinde had to cut short a political visit and rush back. Gogawale did not get a ministership in the earlier government and was made chairman of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. He has been made a minister in this government and given the EGS department.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Shinde said that a solution would soon be found for the guardian ministerships of Nashik and Raigad districts. He said there was nothing wrong in Gogawale expecting to be the guardian minister of Raigad as he had worked there for many years.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the tussle between the Mahayuti parties for guardian ministership of the two districts had nothing to do with people or ideology but was about lucrative posts. “The Nashik guardian ministership is in demand due to the 2026 Kumbh Mela for which several projects will be carried out,” he said. “Raigad is important, as many industries are coming there.”