Maharashtra: NCP's Munde, under fire over sarpanch murder, dropped as Beed guardian minister; CM gets Gadchiroli

Dhananjay Munde, an MLA from the Parali in Beed, served as the district's guardian minister under the previous government led by then-CM Eknath Shinde.

Published on: Jan 19, 2025, 07:34:00 IST

By HT News Desk

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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Food and Civil Supplies minister Dhananjay Munde was missing from the list of guardian ministers appointed by the Maharashtra government on Saturday. The much-awaited list comes a month after the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition assumed power in the state.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar with Dhananjay Munde (left) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Cabinet ministers in Maharashtra are given the additional responsibility of overseeing one or more districts.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also handles the Home Department, would be the guardian minister of the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district, news agency PTI reported.

Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra deputy chief minister, would be the guardian minister of Mumbai city and Thane district, considered his stronghold.

Also read | Beed sarpanch murder: Ajit Pawar defends Munde, says provide evidence to take action

Munde, an MLA from the Parali assembly constituency in Beed, served as the district's guardian minister under the previous Mahayuti government headed by then-chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Munde's omission comes after the brutal murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district. The minister has been under criticism from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after his associate Walmik Karad was arrested in connection with the case.

Another deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP, had refused to ask Munde to resign over the controversy. Munde, in a post on X, congratulated Pawar and said that he had requested the NCP chief to become Beed's guardian minister in view of the "changed political and social situation" in the district. With Pawar's appointment, he added that the development of Beed will get a boost like that in Pune. Pawar will also serve as Pune's guardian minister.

Also read | 141 farmers claim Karad cheated them, they met Munde too

Besides Munde, cabinet ministers Dadaji Bhuse, Datta Bharne, Bharat Gogawale and Ministers of State Indranil Naik and Yogesh Kadam were not allotted any district.

SIT on Beed sarpanch murder

A Special Investigation Team of Maharashtra Police has been probing Deshmukh's murder.

The SIT told a court on January 15 that Deshmukh was killed as was thought to be an “obstacle” in a plan to extort ₹2 crore from an energy firm. The panel also said that Munde's associate Karad was in contact with his killers when the crime was executed.

Karad has been charged with murder under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act. The court remanded him to a seven-day judicial custody.

(With PTI inputs)

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HT News Desk
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