Shinde and BJP: The saga continues

Shinde skipped not just Tuesday’s cabinet meeting but even a dinner hosted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday night for various dignitaries on the occasion of Independence Day

Even after deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s trip to Delhi where he met prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, things don’t seem to have gotten much better for him. Shinde skipped not just Tuesday’s cabinet meeting but even a dinner hosted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday night for various dignitaries on the occasion of Independence Day.

Shinde and BJP: The saga continues

Soon after Shinde returned from Delhi, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Anil Pawar, former commissioner of Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation, who happens to be a relative of Shinde’s party colleague and education minister Dada Bhuse. Pawar had been posted in Vasai-Virar civic body by Shinde, who heads the urban development department. The decisions taken by Pawar are now being probed by the ED. Shinde’s ministers, Bharat Gogawale and Dada Bhuse, were unhappy over the guardian minister issue. Gogawale even skipped the cabinet meeting because he was not given the opportunity to hoist the flag in Raigad on Independence day.

The tussle between Shinde’s party and local BJP leaders also continues. Last week, two senior BJP leaders from Thane district trained their guns on Shinde. Forest minister Ganesh Naik, who has a long standing feud with Shinde, publicly said that Shinde the latter won a lottery (in the form of power) but he should be able to retain it. Another BJP MLA Kisan Kathore (also from Thane district) indirectly sought a probe regarding corruption in Badlapur civic body, which was ruled by Shinde’s party. Where will this bitter tussle between Shinde and the BJP lead? Everybody in Mahayuti wants to know.

Former state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil did not mince his words when he got a chance to taunt bete noire, Ajit Pawar at a function to inaugurate an auditorium of an educational institute in Sangli. Speaking at the function where Pawar was sitting on the dais, Patil said that he comes from Walwa in Sangli where people don’t bow down to anyone and do not resort to betrayal. Responding to Patil, a visibly unhappy Pawar said he had always chosen not to criticise the latter on a public platform. He also insisted that he had taken a decision which he thought was right. Pawar and Patil were bitter rivals in the undivided NCP. Ajit Pawar wanted to remove Patil as state NCP president, which was turned down by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. While the junior Pawar split the party to join the government with BJP, Patil remained loyal to senior Pawar.

CM’s guardian ministership headache

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has not yet been able to resolve the dispute over the guardian ministership of Raigad and Nashik districts. In January, when the guardian ministers were appointed for each district in the state, Fadnavis selected his party colleague Girish Mahajan for Nashik and NCP’s Aditi Tatkare for Raigad. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena objected to both the appointments following which he put them on hold. The issue which has not been resolved yet, was back to haunt Fadnavis last week as guardian ministers were deputed to hoist the flag for Independence Day. Since the two disputed districts did not have any guardian ministers, Tatkare and Mahajan were asked to do the honours by Fadnavis. Shinde’s minister Bharat Gogawale, who has staked claim to the post of Raigad guardian minister publicly expressed his anguish over the same. NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal also made his unhappiness known over Mahajan hoisting the flag in Nashik. Bhujbal and Sena minister Dada Bhuse have staked claim on the post in Nashik. The issue over Raigad doesn’t seem to have been resolved even after Shinde and state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare held a meeting in Delhi a few days ago.

Bharne’s travel trouble

NCP minister Dattatraya Bharne who was handed the agriculture portfolio after it was withdrawn from the controversial Manikrao Kokate, is not exactly excited with the frequent travel he has to undertake due to the new responsibility.

Speaking at a function in his constituency, Bharne, pointed out that he was travelling for two-three days in a row and he remarked that his earlier portfolio of sports and minority welfare had no such hassles. He then quickly added that he was not complaining about his new portfolio but just pointing out that he has been travelling frequently. Since he has taken the responsibility, he would do what needs to be done, he insisted. His last sentence was probably meant for his boss, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who had removed Kokate following the online rummy controversy a fortnight ago and warned all ministers to watch what they say.