Ahead of Maharashtra polls, Shinde appoints Shiv Sena colleagues on key positions

Mumbai: In a bid to quell potential dissent in the ruling Shiv Sena ahead of assembly polls, the Eknath Shinde-led government on Monday appointed former MP Anandrao Adsul and party MLA Sanjay Shirsat on key bodies.

Shirsat has been appointed the chairman of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), one of the richest state government undertakings.

Shirsat is one of the Shiv Sena MLAs who was vocal about his disappointment over not getting a cabinet position in the past.

According to an order issued by the Urban Development Department, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Cidco chairman's post is equivalent to cabinet rank.

Siddhesh Kadam, son of Sena leader Ramdas Kadam, was made the chairman of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.

Shinde also appointed his party colleague and former MP Anandrao Adsul as the chairman of the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste and Tribes Commission.

A government order issued on Monday stated that the tenure of the appointment would be for the next one-and-a-half years or till the next government order is out.

Adsul had earlier claimed that he had been promised to be made governor of a state, but Sena did not follow through.

Dharmpal Meshram, vice president of the state BJP and its spokesperson, has been appointed deputy chairperson of the State Scheduled Caste and Tribes Commission for a three-year term.

The state government recently granted cabinet rank to the chairman of Balasaheb Thackeray Turmeric Research and Training Centre (BTTRTC) in Vasmat tehsil of Hingoli district.

Established in 2022, the BTTRTC was initially headed by former MP Hemant Patil.

The state government Monday elevated the post of Hemant Patil to the rank of a cabinet minister.

Political observers stated that Shinde is trying to pacify his colleagues disappointed over various reasons.