Even as the Lok Sabha poll 2019 results are to be announced on May 23, Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister, and the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are holding talks on who will be the new guardian minister of Pune.
The party is of the opinion that Girish Bapat, current guardian minister of Pune, is likely to emerge victorious, which means he will have to give up the post.
Bapat contested Lok Sabha polls from Pune against Congress candidate Mohan Joshi.
Guardian minister is a key post and the person holding it is the head of all the major committees in the district. The minister holds his control over police and district administration.
If elected, Bapat will need to submit resignation from the post of Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), meaning he then cannot be the guardian minister.
In such a scenario, the minister’s post will go to the person who is either part of the cabinet or minister of state. In Pune district, Dilip Kamble is holding the post of minister of state for social justice. There is speculation that Fadnavis is likely to give this post to Girish Mahajan, a minister in his cabinet.
Sources within BJP, on condition of anonymity, say that local BJP leaders have approached Mahajan and he is likely to get the post of Pune district guardian minister.
First Published:
May 21, 2019 16:31 IST
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