After skipping Cabinet meet, Ajit Pawar named as new Pune's Guardian Minister
Ajit Pawar skipped the weekly cabinet meet, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday issued a list of new guardian ministers for 11 districts with the Ajit Pawar camp gaining 7 districts at the expense of both the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction.
Ajit Pawar has been named as the new guardian minister of Pune while his other ministers Dhananjay Munde and Hasan Mushrif have got portfolios of key districts like Beed and Kolhapur, respectively. The decision by the Chief Minister was meant to assuage Ajit's anger who off late has been showing his displeasure.
Prior to skipping the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Pawar was absent when both Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda had come to Mumbai last month.
He has allegedly been miffed for several reasons, from not being given the freedom to take decisions in the Finance Ministry and in the government to not being made the guardian minister for Pune district.
After Pawar gave a miss to the meeting, Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis flew to Delhi suddenly to have talks with the senior BJP leadership following which it was decided to give into the NCP leader's demands.
While Ajit Pawar may have had his way, the tussle in the government, however, is not over.
The Ajit camp is keen on getting the guardian minister post for Raigad as well as Nashik.
Nashik is held by BJP's Girish Mahajan and Raigad by the Sena's Uday Samant. The Shiv Sena has made it clear that it will not give up Raigad to the NCP come what may.
The guardian minister post is a matter of contention because by virtue of being a Guardian Minister, one can control the development works in a particular district.
