Pune: Murlidhar Mohol’s Appointment in Union Ministry to Dismantle Sharad Pawar’s Network in West Maharashtra?
Pune, 11th June 2024: MP Murlidhar Mohol, newly elected from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency, has been appointed to the Union Cabinet. He has assumed the responsibility as Minister of State for Civil Aviation and the Minister of State for Cooperation, working under Amit Shah. In Western Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar and his supporters have long dominated the cooperatives sector, controlling many sugar factories and cooperative banks. It is being said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming to expand its influence in Western Maharashtra, strategically appointed Mohol to the Ministry of Cooperation to challenge Pawar’s stronghold and gain a foothold in the region.
After the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a third consecutive majority, Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister for the third time. A total of 72 individuals were appointed as Union Ministers, including Pune MP and former Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) mayor, Muralidhar Mohol. Following the swearing-in ceremony on 9th June, the central government distributed ministerial portfolios, assigning Mohol as the Minister of State for Civil Aviation and the Minister of State for Cooperation. Amit Shah, holding the second highest position in the Union Cabinet, oversees the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Cooperation, with Mohol supporting him as the Minister of State.
The Ministry of Cooperation was established during Modi’s second term. Cooperative institutions like sugar factories, spinning mills, and banks have significantly contributed to the rural economy across states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. However, in Maharashtra, leaders from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have maintained a stronghold in the cooperative sector, particularly in regions like West Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, and Marathwada. Despite the BJP’s efforts, they have struggled to dismantle these entrenched networks, notably dominated by Sharad Pawar.
In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won seats in West Maharashtra but has not yet dominated local self-government bodies or cooperative sector organizations. In the 2024 elections, BJP MPs were defeated in Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Kolhapur, Hatkanangle, and Ahmednagar districts, winning only in the Pune and Satara constituencies. As a result, Mohol’s appointment to the Ministry of Cooperation is seen as a strategic move to gain control in West Maharashtra.
Additionally, the long-pending proposal for an international-standard airport in Purandar taluka for Pune city, delayed under the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and facing opposition from local farmers, might gain traction with Mohol as the Minister of Civil Aviation. Both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar are expected to play key roles in advancing this project, with Mohol’s involvement potentially accelerating its progress.
