Fadnavis divests Sena of MSRTC head post, appoints IAS officer
The decision could be reversed later if it was taken up to be resolved by the two parties, said an official
MUMBAI: A brand-new episode has been added to the ongoing cold war between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde with the CM’s decision to divest the Shiv Sena of the post of head of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). In a first, Fadnavis has appointed an IAS officer to head MSRTC, which, since its inception in 1960, has always been led by the transport minister or an elected representative.
As part of the ritual followed after a new government is voted in, the transport department moved a proposal to appoint the chairman of MSRTC and sent it to transport minister Pratap Sarnaik. The minister moved the file for the chief minister’s assent on Wednesday, expecting to be appointed chairman as per tradition. Fadnavis, however, appointed Sanjay Sethi, additional chief secretary of the transport department.
The appointment has come as a rude shock not only to the transport minister but also the Shiv Sena headed by Eknath Shinde. “Since the department is with the Shiv Sena, the CM was expected to take Shinde into confidence before making an exception to the set rule,” said an official from the transport department. “However, he appointed the IAS officer using his discretionary powers under the Road Transport Corporation Act and the MSRTC Rules. This may further intensify the cold war between the BJP and the Shiv Sena.”
According to the official, the decision was also taken on account of Fadnavis being unhappy with the transport minister’s style of functioning. “Sarnaik had announced the monetisation of land parcels owned by MSRTC without taking an approval from the CM,” he said. “He even visited Karnataka for this. This has not gone down well with him. The MSRTC decision is thus seen as an attempt by the CM to send out a message to his cabinet colleague.”
The official added that the decision could be reversed later if it was taken up to be resolved by the two parties. When contacted, Sarnaik too reiterated this. “The appointment is a temporary arrangement until the appointments on all the corporations are made by the three parties amicably,” he said. “It is not necessary that a minister should be appointed as the chairman of the corporation.”
Fadnavis had to stall his appointment of guardian ministers for Raigad and Nashik after Shinde opposed this and demanded the posts for his own party. The two parties have yet to resolve this stalemate, and the new MSRTC appointment is expected to brew further conflict.
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