Devendra Fadnavis in Davos, Sena sulks back home: How disagreements in Mahayuti over district guardianship are playing out

In Nashik, senior minister Girish Mahajan of the BJP was appointed the guardian minister but it drew a backlash from Bhuse, strongly backed by Shinde,  who was also vying for the role. The NCP too laid claim to the post, with senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal who represents the Yeola Assembly constituency in the district saying, “The guardian minister should have come to a minister from the NCP.” The NCP has the most MLAs from the district and its minister Manikrao Kokate also agreed with Bhujbal, saying that given the party has the highest representation in the district, the guardian minister post should rightly come to it. Of the 15 Assembly constituencies in the district, the Sena represents two, the BJP five, the NCP seven, and the AIMIM one.

The tussle between the three parties of the ruling alliance assumes significance as Nashik is set to host a Kumbh Mela in 2027. A Rs 1,100-crore plan to upgrade Nashik — complete with infrastructure, accommodation, and other related projects — is underway. The guardian minister will have a significant role in planning the fair and will also be the face of the event. With the political ramifications of such a massive event in mind, the Sena has put its foot down, disapproving of Mahajan’s appointment. Mahajan, one of the state BJP’s experienced troubleshooters, is the party’s face in Nashik.

In Raigad, the dispute is between the NCP and the Shiv Sena. The government has appointed NCP’s Aditi Tatkare as the guardian minister but Sena minister Gogawale has staked claim to the post, emphasising his right as a senior Cabinet minister. Backing Gogawale, Shinde has said, “There is nothing wrong in ministers claiming district guardianship. Everybody has the right to voice their views. All these issues will be discussed and resolved once Fadnavis returns from Davos.”

Of the eight Assembly constituencies in Raigad, the BJP represents four, the Sena Shiv Sena three, and the NCP one. Raigad is the focus of the Mahayuti government’s development push, with mega projects such as a bulk drug park and a port worth Rs 7,360 crore promised to the district. Raigad will also be a major node of the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

Downplaying the differences, Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar said, “It is the Chief Minister’s prerogative to decide the guardian ministers.” During negotiations, Pawar managed to get the district guardianship of Pune and Beed, replacing under-fire party colleague Dhananjay Munde in the latter. Munde is facing backlash since his aide Walmik Karad was arrested in an extortion case related to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed’s Massajog village.

However, this did not sit well with Pankaja Munde of the BJP who said it would have been better had the responsibility of Beed been given to her.

A Shiv Sena minister, requesting anonymity, said, “Ideally, the BJP that has the most ministers should have shown some generosity in accommodating its allies. Aditi Tatkare can be made the guardian minister of some other district to pave the way for Gogawale. Similarly, Mahajan should have been accommodated in another district to concede Bhuse’s demand.”

A BJP functionary responded saying, “The selection of guardian ministers is done for development. It is not a platform for pushing party politics.” State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “In any coalition government, all the decisions taken are collective. The guardian minister is an arrangement keeping district development in mind. It is not a division of power within Mahayuti. If there are issues raised by the Sena and the NCP, they will be collectively discussed and addressed by the CM.”

Who are guardian ministers? 

Unlike the Council of Ministers who are administered the oath of office by the Governor, the post of a guardian minister is not a constitutional one. It is a symbolic post like Deputy CM and has been in existence for several decades.

In 1972, Congress CM Vasantrao Naik introduced the concept. Ministers were given the responsibility of districts they did not belong to so that they could maintain objectivity, serving as the point person between the government and the people. Over the years, the role transformed, with major changes coming in 1995 after the first Shiv Sena-BJP government was voted to power as ministers sought to represent their home districts as guardian ministers, seeing in it an opportunity to maintain their foothold and expand their electoral base. A guardian ministers serve as the ex-officio chairperson of a District Planning Committee, giving them a significant say in the matters of development of a district.