Is Devendra Fadnavis Facing Pressure From The High Command?

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stands cited for his continued vacillation over ‘Hindutva’, overdependence upon bureaucracy, failure to move ahead on ‘Love Jihad’, Uniform Civil Code, mob lynching case of ‘sadhus’ in Palghar, Disha Salian death case according to sources. The high command is believed to have reiterated its ‘Perform or Perish’ diktat while expressing dissatisfaction based on the litany of complaints against Fadnavis. Delay in prosecuting government officials beyond mere suspensions (25,000 birth certificates issued to illegal Bangladeshis, Rohingyas exposed by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya) and Fadnavis’ predilection leaving the sensitive Home department under control of bureaucracy has irked the party’s high command. BJP’s former Maharashtra deputy CM, late Gopinath Munde’s daughter, cabinet minister Pankaja Munde was similarly cited for leaving her ministerial portfolios (including women and child development department) to bureaucratic discretion during Fadnavis’ 1.0 tenure (2014 and 2019) costing her dearly and being kept out of government under Fadnavis’ 76 hour 2.0 tenure and, CM Eknath Shinde’s 2.5-year tenure in 2022. Pankaja Munde is back in government, however, CM Fadnavis’ constant comparison with Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Assam counterparts over apparent ‘Hindutva’ shortcomings bodes ill for him. Maharashtra will likely witness major overhauling in coming days, a bureaucratic reshuffle on the cards at the very least. Meanwhile, only days after MoS (fisheries) Nitesh Rane conducted ‘Bhoomipujan’ for crucial jetty infrastructure off the eastern coastline of south Mumbai, BJP’s speaker in state legislative assembly Rahul Narvekar, close confidante of Fadnavis, started courting opponents of the project (falling within his assembly constituency) opening up a new political battleground for Fadnavis.