Maharashtra's political landscape has witnessed a significant change with the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, the state's Minister for Food and Civil Supplies. His resignation letter was submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who subsequently forwarded it to the Governor.
Mumbai: Maharashtra's Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Dhananjay Munde, resigned on Tuesday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accepted his resignation and sent it to the Governor for further action. This resignation follows allegations against Munde's close associate, Balmik Karad, in connection with the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the village head of Masajog in Beed district.
The SIT has identified Karad as the mastermind behind the murder. Chief Minister Fadnavis, after discussions with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and NCP leader Praful Patel, reportedly asked Munde to resign.
Resignation at the Chief Minister's Instruction
Sources indicate that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requested Dhananjay Munde's resignation. This action was taken due to serious allegations against his close associate, Balmik Karad, who is accused in the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the village head of Masajog in Beed district. Considering the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Fadnavis asked Munde to step down.
Instead of submitting the resignation letter personally, Dhananjay Munde sent it through his Personal Assistant (PA), Prashant Joshi, to the Chief Minister's official residence. The Chief Minister accepted the resignation and forwarded it to the Governor.
Karad, the Main Accused in the Murder
The murder of village head Santosh Deshmukh occurred on December 9, 2023. Allegedly, he was killed for attempting to stop forceful extortion of money from a power company in the district. The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a charge sheet of over 1200 pages in court on February 27th. This charge sheet names Balmik Karad as the main accused.
Following the CID investigation, a case has been filed against the accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) for three serious offenses: the murder of the village head, attempting to forcefully extort money from the power company, and assaulting the company's security guard. Seven individuals have been arrested so far, with one still at large.
Dhananjay Munde's resignation is likely to create ripples in Maharashtra's politics. He is an NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) MLA from the Parli Assembly constituency in Beed district. Previously, he also served as a Minister of State for Beed. The impact of his resignation on the state government's equation remains to be seen.
