Dhananjay Munde had to quit as a minister amid protests over his aide Walmik Karad's arrest in connection with the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh last December
Dhananjay Munde met some ministers at the Sahyadri guest house earlier, sources said. File Pic
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde, who was forced to resign as Maharashtra agriculture minister in March, met the party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai, reported the PTI.
A day before, Dhananjay Munde met some ministers at the Sahyadri guest house when CM Devendra Fadnavis was present on the premises, a source close to Munde said.
The source said that Dhananjay Munde has been meeting ministers in connection with work related to his Parli assembly constituency, as per the PTI.
"Munde met some ministers on Wednesday (at Sahyadri guest house). He met Ajitdada on Thursday. CM Fadnavis was present the day before, but there was no specific meeting," the source added, according to the PTI.
The speculation over Dhananjay Munde's potential re-induction in the state cabinet was strengthened after Ajit Pawar cited a "clean chit" given to the former agriculture minister in a scam.
Ajit Pawar had said that Munde will be given an 'opportunity' if he is absolved in the 'inquiry' against him, possibly referring to the Beed sarpanch murder case, following which the NCP MLA had to quit the Devendra Fadnavis government.
Munde had to quit as a minister amid protests over his aide Walmik Karad's arrest in connection with the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh last December.
The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court last week on Tuesday rejected the discharge application filed by prime accused Walmik Karad and posted the next hearing to August 4.
The murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh had triggered a political firestorm in the state.
A petitioner had later alleged a scam in the purchase and distribution of equipment when Munde was the state agriculture minister (between July 2023 and November 2024).
"Munde has been given a clean chit. But he had to endure mental stress. In another case, a judicial inquiry is ongoing. Once that is completed, the facts will come out. If it turns out that he has no connection whatsoever, we will give him an opportunity (apparent reference to ministership)," Pawar had said, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
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