Speculations fuel over fracture in Mahayuti as Shinde, Gogawale skip cabinet meeting
The move comes against the backdrop of long-pending appointments of guardian ministers in two districts- Raigad and Nashik. Sena ministers Gogawale and Dada Bhuse both have been lobbying for these posts.
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Shinde-led Sena leaders however denied having any fissures in the alliance and said that Shinde could not attend the meeting since he is currently in Srinagar after attending a blood donation camp in Jammu, and Gogawale is in Delhi and hence both were absent from the cabinet meeting.
The Maharashtra government’s decision to have NCP minister Aditi Tatkare and BJP minister Girish Mahajan hoist the national flag in Raigad and Nashik on Independence Day, bypassing Shiv Sena hopefuls has triggered a fresh controversy. A day after, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and senior Sena MLA minister Bharat Gogawale, who has been lobbying for the Raigad guardian minister’s post, skipped the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday, fuelling speculation of discontent within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
The move comes against the backdrop of long-pending appointments of guardian ministers in two districts- Raigad and Nashik. Sena ministers Gogawale and Dada Bhuse both have been lobbying for these posts.
The posts have been bone of contention for over eight months since the BJP–Shiv Sena –NCP coalition took charge. While the guardian ministers of all the districts have been announced, the post in these two districts has been kept vacant.
On Monday, the state’s General Administration Department issued a circular naming Tatkare for Raigad and Mahajan for Nashik for the flag hoisting for Independence day. Sena leaders say this was perceived as a political snub to their claimants.
Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders seized the opportunity, with Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleging that Shinde had been “shown his place” by the local BJP leaders and Shinde had even complained to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about being sidelined.
Shinde-led Sena leaders however denied having any fissures in the alliance and said that Shinde could not attend the meeting since he is currently in Srinagar after attending a blood donation camp in Jammu, and Gogawale is in Delhi and hence both were absent from the cabinet meeting.
Sena functionaries insisted both had informed the CM’s office in advance and had officially taken leave.
Gogawale reiterated his ambitions for the Raigad post but denied any personal animosity. “I am 100 percent committed to the guardian ministership. There is a difference between hoisting the flag and the guardian ministership. Just because someone hoists the flag doesn’t make them the guardian minister. Whatever decision the seniors take, we will accept. I have no objection to Aditi Tatkare hoisting the flag,” he said, adding that he hoped the decision on guardian ministerships would come “after the flag-hoisting.”
The discontent within the Shinde camp is not limited to the guardian minister row.
In recent weeks, Sena MLAs — including Sanjay Gaikwad — have openly complained of not receiving development funds for their constituencies for over 10 months. Gaikwad, considered a close aide of Shinde, said that while Dy CM Shinde, CM Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar had assured that the situation would improve, the lack of funds had created frustration among legislators.
Minister Pratap Sarnaik, however, dismissed these claims, saying funds were being allocated for departmental works such as transport infrastructure.
In Nashik, the decision to assign Mahajan the flag-hoisting duty over Sena’s Dada Bhuse has sparked similar murmurs. Sena minister Uday Samant attempted to calm the waters, saying the Independence Day list was “only about flag-hoisting” and not a declaration of guardian ministers.
He also stressed that in his personal view, “Dada Bhuse should be Nashik’s guardian minister and Bharat Gogawale for Raigad,” but that the final decision rests with Shinde, who will consult the alliance leaders.
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