Following Ajit Pawar’s reinstatement as Maharashtra’s finance minister, Deepak Kesarkar, a prominent leader of the Shiv Sena, clarified in Mumbai that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will retain final decision-making authority.
Last year, a group of discontented Shiv Sena Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, headed by Uddhav Thackeray. Led by Shinde, these MLAs cited one of the main reasons for their rebellion as Pawar’s refusal to allocate funds to their constituencies during his tenure as the finance minister.
Pawar returned to the Shinde-led government earlier this month, resuming his former role as finance minister. This development raised speculations regarding the possible reaction of the rebellious Sena MLAs.
Kesarkar, currently serving as the school education minister, asserted that the rebellion of the 39 MLAs was fueled by the perceived unfair treatment of the Shiv Sena legislators under Thackeray’s leadership. He claimed that the core principles of the undivided Shiv Sena were compromised when the party allied with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to form the MVA alliance.
Kesarkar reassured that despite Pawar’s return, the ultimate decision-making power resides with the Chief Minister. “Dada (a fond nickname for Pawar) has assured me that any decision I make, the final call is with the CM. There’s a CM who makes decisions and Dada will ensure justice, given his understanding of past grievances,” Kesarkar added.