Ajit Pawar may have taken up Beed guardian Ministership amid situation post sarpanch murder: Jayant Patil

NCP(SP) president Jayant Patil discusses Ajit Pawar's appointment as guardian Minister of Beed district amid controversy.

Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) [NCP(SP)] president Jayant Patil on Sunday (January 19, 2025) said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar may have preferred to take up the guardian Ministership of Beed district considering the prevailing situation in the aftermath of a sarpanch's murder.

Ministers in Maharashtra are given responsibility for one or more districts. As per a list released by the State Government, Mr. Pawar has been allotted Beed district in addition to Pune, his home district.

Talking to reporters in Solapur, Mr. Patil said there was no point in criticising the appointment of guardian Ministers and people now have to see how they perform. He said the situation in Beed is complicated, so Ajit Pawar may have preferred to go there.

Minister Dhananjay Munde, MLA from Parali in Beed, was the guardian Minister of this central Maharashtra district in the previous government. But, he has been in the eye of the storm over the brutal murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in the district. Walmik Karad, Mr. Munde's associate, has been arrested in connection with the case.

Beed villagers intensify agitation over sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh’s murder

Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP, had refused to ask Mr. Munde to resign over the controversy amid criticism from the Opposition and local BJP leaders.

When asked about Minister Chandrakant Patil being allotted Sangli district, the NCP(SP) leader said, "Let's hope he takes everyone along for the development of the district." He further claimed that there was no law and order in the State, given the developments in the past one and half months and the police have failed to show their strength.