BJP vs Sena tussle ends, Nashik and Raigad finally get their guardian ministers

After a grueling 19-month dispute within the Mahayuti alliance, the Maharashtra government recently concluded the matter by appointing Girish Mahajan, a Bharatiya Janata Party minister, as the guardian minister for Nashik and Bharat Gogawale, a Shiv Sena minister, for Raigad. The decision came after months of contention between the alliance partners - BJP, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv Sena - who had all claimed the posts for their own members since January 2025.

The tiff started when Girish Mahajan was initially appointed Nashik guardian minister, but the appointment was short-lived after the Shiv Sena objected to it. They had sought the post for another minister, Dada Bhuse. Similarly, the Shiv Sena also opposed the NCP's choice for Raigad guardian minister, Aditi Tatkare, and wanted Bharat Gogawale instead. Tatkare's appointment was later stayed.

The ongoing disagreement persisted despite the districts facing competing claims from all three Mahayuti partners. The appointment of a guardian minister in Nashik became especially significant due to the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh festival. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his appointment, Girish Mahajan proceeded with Kumbh preparations in Nashik.

In Nashik, Bhuse remained the preferred candidate among the Shinde-led Sena, while NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal also backed Gogawale for Raigad, given his long political ties with the district.

Now, the decision officially assigns Girish Mahajan both a direct role in Nashik and the responsibility of overseeing the district as its guardian minister. The Raigad appointment secures the post that the Shiv Sena had been seeking since the initial appointments were announced in January 2025. Thus, the long-standing dispute finally finds a resolution, with Nashik going to the BJP and Raigad to the Shiv Sena, marking one of the longest unresolved disagreements within the ruling alliance.