Maharashtra Assembly elections: Strategic appointments to quell dissent in Shiv Sena ahead of polls

Shiv Sena government makes key appointments to placate dissent and consolidate power ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024.

In a bid to contain potential unrest within the ruling Shiv Sena ahead of the Assembly elections, the Eknath Shinde-led government recently made key appointments, placing former MP Anandrao Adsul, party MLAs Sanjay Shirsat and Bharat Gogavale as chairpersons of various government bodies.

Mr. Shirsat and Mr. Gogavale, both vocal about being overlooked for cabinet roles, have now been appointed to the influential posts – Mr. Shirsat as chairman of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), one of the State’s most financially powerful entities and Mr. Gogavale as chairman of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, the government-run transport service.

Similarly, the appointment of Mr. Adsul, another senior party member, as the chairman of the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste and Tribes Commission addresses another source of dissatisfaction within the party. The former MP had earlier claimed that he was promised a gubernatorial role, which did not materialise. By giving him this new appointment, Mr. Shinde is trying to mollify Mr. Adsul and reinforce loyalty within the ranks, sources said.

“The decision to appoint Shirsat as CIDCO is notable. The body, being one of Maharashtra’s wealthiest State bodies, holds significant influence in urban development and infrastructure projects. By granting Mr. Shirsat the role and equating it to a Cabinet post, the CM has neutralised a potentially influential critic within the faction. This is especially important given that Mr. Shirsat had repeatedly expressed his desire for a ministerial position,” a party leader said.

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The elevation of the Balasaheb Thackeray Turmeric Research and Training Centre’s (BTTRTC) chairman post to cabinet rank and the appointment of Hemant Patil to this role further reflects Mr. Shinde’s effort to reward loyalists and consolidate power. Mr. Patil was expecting a berth in the Rajya Sabha or the legislative council.

These appointments, coming just months before the Assembly elections, reveal Mr. Shinde’s attempts to ensure that the Shiv Sena’s internal divisions do not weaken its electoral prospects. However, if elections are held in mid-November, as Mr. Shinde recently suggested, the new appointees would barely get a month to take any decisions as the code of conduct comes into effect. The new government has to appoint new chairpersons as the tenures are coterminous.