An old political war between two ministers seems to have reignited in Thane district. Forest Minister and Palghar Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik will hold a Janata Darbar (public meeting) in the district. Supporting this initiative, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule stated that Shiv Sena members should also conduct Janata Darbars, as they help resolve public issues and benefit the people, signaling the revival of a political rivalry between the BJP and Shiv Sena.

Deputy Chief Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde and Forest Minister Ganesh Naik are influential figures in the district. Thane is considered Eknath Shinde’s stronghold, but a few years ago, when Ganesh Naik was with the NCP, he held dominance over Thane and Navi Mumbai. However, after Shiv Sena came to power, Shinde gradually diminished Naik’s influence.

During the recent Lok Sabha elections, despite being the CM, Eknath Shinde denied a ticket to Ganesh Naik’s son, Sandeep Naik, from Thane and instead backed Shiv Sena’s Naresh Mhaske. BJP leaders repeatedly urged Shinde to consider Sandeep Naik, but he refused due to his political rivalry with Ganesh Naik.

At the time, Eknath Shinde was the CM, but in the current Mahayuti government, the BJP holds greater influence. Ganesh Naik has now been appointed Forest Minister and also serves as the Guardian Minister of Palghar district. As a result, a fierce battle for dominance between these two leaders and their parties has intensified in the district.

When asked about the Janata Darbar, Ganesh said, “As the Guardian Minister, I will hold a Janata Darbar there every month. Navi Mumbai is my constituency, so I will also organise one there monthly. In Thane, I will conduct the darbar every three months. Resolving people’s issues is a collective responsibility of the government.” Going beyond the darbar held in Thane, both parties have indicated their readiness to contest the local body elections independently if they decide to fight on their strength.

If BJP’s senior leaders decide to contest the local body elections independently, Ganesh Naik has reportedly instructed his workers to be prepared for it. When asked about this, he said, “Since 1995, I have maintained power in Thane and Navi Mumbai single-handedly while being in the NCP. If the BJP leadership decides to contest the upcoming elections alone, we will be ready to fight independently in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Palghar, and Kalyan-Dombivli.”

After losing the assembly election in 2014, Ganesh Naik’s political career took a break for some time. In 2019, he joined the BJP, which marked a new turn in his political journey.

In response to Naik’s indication of preparing to fight independently, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske said, “We fought the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together as part of the Mahayuti alliance, and we will continue to fight together in the future. If anyone wants to fight alone, we are also prepared. We have maintained power in Thane for 25 years.” Additionally, Mhaske stated that if anyone is going to hold a darbar in Thane, our ministers will also go to Palghar and conduct the same.

There has been talk in recent days about the BJP sidelining Shinde. Shinde was upset for a long time after not being given the Chief Minister’s position. Now, the question is being raised whether the BJP is positioning Ganesh Naik as a challenge against Shinde in Thane.

No matter what, Thane is still a stronghold of Shiv Sena. To clear up any confusion, Shiv Sena leader and Minister Shambhuraj Desai stated that if any minister is working, it should not be misunderstood.