Ajit Pawar replaces Chandrakant Patil as Pune District Guardian Minister

With Pawar replacing Patil, there is apprehension within the local BJP unit even though Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad celebrated the announcement made by the chief minister’s office (CMO)

PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday was named guardian minister of his home district, Pune, in place of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member and cabinet colleague Chandrakant Patil.

In Pune, a BJP leader said that there is a possibility that Ajit (dada) Pawar may now try and take decisions as the Pune guardian minister to reap benefits for his party, which in turn could dent the BJP’s base locally. (HT PHOTO)

With Pawar replacing Patil, there is apprehension within the local BJP unit even though Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad celebrated the announcement made by the chief minister’s office (CMO). The CMO issued a revised list of guardian ministers for 12 districts according to which, Patil has now been given the responsibility of Solapur and Amravati districts.

In Pune, a BJP leader said that there is a possibility that Ajit (dada) Pawar may now try and take decisions as the Pune guardian minister to reap benefits for his party, which in turn could dent the BJP’s base locally. The role of guardian ministers in Maharashtra has been significant as they offer personal attention and support to their districts, working with the entire administration and other officials to address local needs and developmental issues. However, many a times, ministers in charge of various districts have used their position to strengthen their own party. “Considering Ajit Pawar’s aggressive style of functioning, there is a possibility that he may take decisions to suit his own party. This in turn may mar the BJP’s chances,” said the leader who is active in the local BJP unit while requesting anonymity. He said that while his party has had a major role in the decision-making process for various issues till now, “That may not be the case hereon, whether at the local development or state level.” Meanwhile, a NCP leader who did not wish to be named expressed happiness over Pawar being appointed the guardian minister of Pune district and expressed confidence in his abilities.

After joining the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction)-BJP government in July this year, Pawar was made deputy chief minister and given the crucial ‘finance’ portfolio. Since joining the government, it has become increasingly clear that Pawar would prefer to become the guardian minister of Pune which is a politically crucial district for both the NCP and BJP. Pawar, who has been one of the longest-serving guardian ministers of Pune district, has always taken keen interest in the development of Pune city and district. In the past few days, Pawar had started attending meetings with the administration, bypassing Chandrakant Patil. When Patil was the guardian minister of Pune, there was a cold war between the two leaders. Recently, when Pawar was in the city and conducted a series of meetings, he was criticised for trying to overrule Patil. As a result, Patil complained to chief minister Eknath Shinde saying that Pawar did not approve funds for the decisions he took as guardian minister. As Pawar holds the finance ministry charge, the funds were not released despite the decisions taken by Patil as guardian minister. Even Pawar criticised Patil for not taking regular meetings with the administration as guardian minister. At the time, Pawar said that while he held meetings every week to take follow-ups, some people conducted meetings after every month or even two months.

As part of the reshuffle, the CM has appointed seven out of the nine ministers of the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) as guardian ministers of various districts. NCP ministers Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif and Dhananjay Munde will be the guardian ministers of Buldhana, Kolhapur, and Beed districts, respectively, as per the list. Their cabinet colleagues Sanjay Bandsode, Dharmarao Baba Atram, and Anil Patil (also belonging to the Ajit Pawar camp) will be the guardian ministers of Parbhani, Gondia, and Nandurbar districts, respectively. From the BJP camp, senior ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vijay Kumar Gavit, and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil will be in charge of Wardha, Bhandara and Akola districts, respectively. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was previously holding charge as the guardian minister of Wardha, Akola, Bhandara and Amravati districts.