Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File
| Photo Credit: X/@CMOMaharashtra

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah arrived in Pune on Friday (April 11, 2025) evening amid simmering tensions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance over the unresolved guardian ministership of the Raigad district. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis received Mr. Shah upon his arrival.

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On Saturday, Mr. Shah is scheduled to visit the Raigad Fort, where he will pay floral tributes at the memorial of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He will then head to Sutarwadi for a lunch meeting at the residence of NCP state president and Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare. The invitation was personally extended by Mr. Tatkare and accepted by Mr. Shah.

The visit assumes political significance as Raigad continues to be a bone of contention between the alliance partners — Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), BJP, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The tug-of-war began in January after Deputy Chief Minister Shinde objected to NCP’s Aditi Tatkare — daughter of Mr. Tatkare — being appointed guardian minister of the district. The issue escalated, prompting Mr. Fadnavis to put the appointments for both Raigad and Nashik on hold.

While Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale has laid claim to Raigad, the NCP maintains it has a stronger case, having already conceded Nashik to BJP’s Girish Mahajan. With Nashik set to host the 2027 Kumbh Mela, the BJP is keen to maintain its hold over the district’s administration to ensure smooth execution of critical infrastructure projects.

“He [Amit Shah] will broker a compromise between the alliance partners,” a leader told The Hindu.

Mr. Shah’s itinerary includes attending a Gujarati weekly’s platinum jubilee event in Mumbai, followed by strategic discussions with BJP functionaries.