MUMBAI: The post of Personal Assistant (PA) may appear minor, but in the corridors of power in Maharashtra, it has become a significant point of contention between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
DCM Eknath Shinde has decided to approach CM Devendra Fadnavis after the General Administration Department (GAD), which falls under Fadnavis’s control, rejected the files recommending several candidates for PA posts, citing their questionable administrative track records. Fadnavis had earlier made it clear that his government would not appoint PAs or Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) who were known to have acted as “fixers” in previous administrations.
Despite the GAD’s objections, seven ministers including three from Shiv Sena (Gulabrao Patil, Shambhuraj Desai, Sanjay Rathod), one from BJP (Ganesh Naik), and two from NCP (Chhagan Bhujbal and Duttamama Bhurane) remain adamant about appointing their preferred candidates.
In response, Shinde has reassured these dissatisfied ministers that he will personally take up the matter with CM Fadnavis and push for the appointment of the specific individuals in question. He confirmed this development, expressing hope for an amicable resolution to what has become a long-standing issue.
“It has been more than six months since the Mahayuti government came into power, yet some ministers are still functioning without their PAs. This reflects poorly on the state of governance,” said Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar.
He further criticised the Mahayuti coalition, saying, “Ministers in this government do not even have the authority to appoint their own PAs — how then can they be expected to serve the public effectively? CM Fadnavis has blocked these appointments, yet the ministers remain insistent, revealing how deeply rooted corruption is, and how even the Chief Minister appears powerless before his own colleagues.”
An NCP minister echoed the frustration, remarking that despite the BJP-led Mahayuti government’s overwhelming majority in the state, there is no cohesion or satisfaction within the coalition. “A few individuals are reaping all the benefits of power, while others are being sidelined, despite being part of the ruling alliance,” he said.