Ajit Pawar to hoist flag in Kolhapur; CM Shinde’s dept shifts NCP ministers out of home dist

Shifting Ajit Pawar from Pune to Kolhapur is also seen as the outcome of the ongoing competition between him and the CM. (File Photo)

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Ajit Pawar to hoist flag in Kolhapur; CM Shinde’s dept shifts NCP ministers out of home dist

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The cold-war between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and newly sworn-in Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar seems to be escalating, as indicated by the latter being asked to preside over the flag-hoisting ceremony in Kolhapur district on Independence Day, instead of his home district Pune.

Of nine ministers from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), only two—Dhananjay Munde and Sanjay Bansode—will be hoisting the flag on August 15 in their home districts, Beed and Latur, respectively. The rest of the seven ministers have been sent to different districts as per the government resolution issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The move also indicates that the government has yet not decided on reshuffling guardian ministers of districts after inclusion of NCP ministers led by Ajit Pawar. Higher and Technical Education minister Chandrakant Patil, who is Pune’s Guardian Minister will be the chief guest at the Pune programme. Following the inclusion of Pawar as the new Deputy CM, it was speculated that Patil would be relieved of the responsibility and Ajit Pawar would be given charge of the districts.

Also Read | As Ajit Pawar-led NCP eyes 4 district guardian minister posts, Shinde Sena refuses to give in

Among other NCP ministers who have been deputed to districts other than their home districts include Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who hails from Nasik but will be hoisting the flag at Vidarbha’s Amravati district. Kolhapur’s Hasan Mushrif has been deputed to Solapur while Pune’s Dilip Walse-Patil will hoist the flag at Washim in Vidarbha. Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Anil Patil from Jalgaon will travel to Buldhana in Vidarbha to hoist the flag.

In the wake of the dispute between Sena and NCP over handing over Raigad’s Guardian Minister’s post to Ncp’s Aditi Tatkare, the Women and Child Welfare minister will now hoist the flag at Palghar district. In Raigad, the district collector will hoist the flag.

“There has been no reshuffling of charges of guardian ministers in the state. Therefore, as per the norm, the respective guardian minister was allotted the district,” an administration official said.