Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Friday assured that the issue of Guardian Ministers for Raigad and Nashik districts would be resolved soon, emphasizing that there is no conflict among Mahayuti partners over ministerial positions. Shinde reiterated that his party prioritizes the welfare of Maharashtra's people over political appointments. "The issue if Guardian Ministers will be sorted out soon. Our focus is on serving the people and driving the state’s development forward. We are committed to accelerating the progress we initiated over the past two-and-a-half years," said Shinde. Sources suggest that as part of a resolution, Shinde may be temporarily assigned the Guardian Minister’s charge for Raigad. In exchange, the NCP or BJP could be given responsibility for another district. On January 18, the state government had announced a list of guardian ministers, appointing NCP’s Aditi Tatkare for Raigad and BJP’s Girish Mahajan for Nashik. However, Shiv Sena leaders had expressed concerns over these appointments. Sena ministers Dada Bhuse and Bharat Gogawale were keen on securing the Guardian Minister's posts for Nashik and Raigad respectively, leading to a temporary stay on the decision. Both the NCP and Shiv Sena are vying for the Raigad post. Despite the delay in appointing Guardian Ministers, state minister and Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat downplayed concerns, assuring that development work in the two districts would not be affected. "Ongoing projects in Raigad and Nashik are being closely monitored by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the two Deputy CMs, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar," Shirsat said.
