Mumbai: After Raigad and Nashik, another district has become entangled in the ongoing tussle over the allocation of district guardian ministers among the three partners in the Mahayuti government.
Minister Hasan Mushrif Steps Down From His Role As Washim's Guardian Minister
Senior NCP minister Hasan Mushrif has stepped down from his role as the guardian minister for Washim, a district in the Vidarbha region. Mushrif, who hails from Kolhapur, has requested his party leader, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to reassign Washim to another minister from the party.
A source close to him revealed that he has struggled to focus on the district’s affairs. The minister was reportedly reluctant to take on the responsibility when the list of district guardian ministers was announced in January. He had hoped to be assigned Kolhapur, but the Shiv Sena secured it for Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar instead.
While Mushrif attended the Republic Day program shortly after the announcement, he soon distanced himself from Washim’s administration, sources said.
Meanwhile, the state government has yet to resolve the disputes over Raigad and Nashik, where appointments remain stalled due to objections from the Shiv Sena. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction has insisted on retaining both districts for its ministers. The BJP is pushing for Nashik, while the NCP remains firm on its claim over Raigad.
Addressing media queries on Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that he, along with both Deputy CMs, was acting as the guardian minister for Raigad. Reports suggest that the Nashik issue has been settled, with the BJP likely to retain Girish Mahajan in the role, though no formal announcement has been made yet.
