Maharashtra: Mahayuti government minister Dhananjay Munde’s resignation, sarpanch accused of murder was right hand

Finally, Dhananjay Munde, one of the most controversial ministers of the Mahayuti government of Maharashtra, has resigned. The demand for their dismissal started to rise in December with the formation of the government. Munde’s farewell is being seen as an attempt to keep the image of Devendra Fadnavis’s government clean. However, in the political corridors, the question is also arising as to why Fadnavis took so long in removing Munde. Also, it is also a big question that who will replace them now? Another minister, the future of Manikrao Kokate is also hanging in the balance, as he has been convicted in the case of fraud.

After increasing continuous pressure for three months, resignations have started in the Fadnavis cabinet and Dhananjay Munde has become its first episode. NCP leader Munde has always been engulfed in some controversy, including his separate wife Karuna Sharma. But the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Beed snatched the chair of his ministerial post. Valmiki Karad, who is allegedly a forced recovery and the main accused in the Deshmukh murder. Munde was considered close. Ever since the name of Karad came up in this case, opposition party and social activist Anjali Damania were constantly demanding the dismissal of Munde from Fadnavis. But due to the compulsions of the coalition, Fadnavis did not take this decision and said that this decision will be of NCP chief Ajit Pawar.

Fadnavis held a meeting with Ajit Pawar

Finally, when many TV channels broadcast the gruesome pictures of the killing of Sarpanch Deshmukh on Monday evening, the matter caught fire. After catching up in the regional channels, Fadnavis held a meeting with Ajit Pawar and made it clear that it is no longer possible to maintain Munde in the cabinet. Till now Pawar, who was defending Munde, eventually had to bow down.

Fadnavis and Munde’s friendship awake

It was not easy for both Fadnavis and Pawar to take Munde’s resignation. Fadnavis and Munde’s friendship in Maharashtra politics is well known. The two knew each other from the time of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Munde was also a confidant of Ajit Pawar. In November 2019, when Pawar revolted from NCP for the first time, Munde was with him. He also played an important role in Pawar’s second rebellion in June 2023. Munde is the nephew of the late BJP leader Gopinath Munde and he had a good hold among the OBC community in the Marathwada region.

Munde’s resignation has come at a time when Maharashtra’s budget session is going on. On the very first day of the session, the opposition demonstrated to demand his resignation. The opposition had planned to create a ruckus on this issue on the second day. But Fadnavis announced the matter and calmed the matter that he had accepted the resignation of Munde. However, the uproar by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi for praising the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb left behind the issue of Munde.

Now the question is whether Chhagan Bhujbal, the veteran leader of NCP, will be made a minister in place of Munde. He is already angry by keeping Bhujbal out of the cabinet. Like Munde, he also represents the OBC community, so his name is in discussion.

Here, another NCP minister Manikrao Kokate’s future is also hanging in the balance. A hearing is going on against him in a Nashik court. He has been convicted in the case of wrongly taking residential flats from the Chief Minister’s discretionary quota. He has filed a petition in the court to stop his sentence and a decision on it is expected on 5 March.