The Mahayuti alliance, which comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, saw the BJP confirm its position as coalition leader by winning 132 seats in the 2024 Assembly elections.
According to a recent government circular, the path for file movement has been changed following leadership transition in the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra from Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde to the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Before permission, CM Fadnavis has stayed the last individual to examine the records.
Under the former government led by Shinde, paperwork were sent from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to the other deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis’ desk. The files went from Fadnavis to CM Shinde. This procedure has been changed with Fadnavis now acting as chief minister.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik published a circular on March 18 stating, “…and now revised orders are being issued as all the matters specified in the Second Schedule of the Maharashtra Government Rules of Procedure should be submitted to the Hon. Chief Minister for approval through the Hon. Deputy Chief Minister and Minister (Urban Development, Housing) after the Hon. Deputy Chief Minister and Minister (Finance).”
Essentially, this implies that, like in the previous administration, Deputy CM Pawar, who also has the finance ministry, will first review a file before passing it on to fellow Deputy CM Shinde, who also has the urban development and housing portfolios. It will then go to CM Fadnavis for last approval.
The Mahayuti coalition is made up of the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP. The BJP confirmed its leadership of the coalition by gaining 132 seats in the 2024 Assembly elections. In the 288-member Assembly, the Shiv Sena and the NCP took 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Always a major concern causing checks and balances among the allies has been the flow of papers inside an alliance administration. The seamless flow of papers is of utmost importance under a three-party administration in power with each department relying on others for execution of plans. It prevents pointless conflict and tension among the allies. It also guarantees that heads of all three parties have examined every facet of the government and are involved in a significant decision there.
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