Transfer troubles
It is quite unheard of in Maharashtra’s bureaucratic playground for an IAS officer attached to the office of either the Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister to be shunted out before completing his normal tenure. The abrupt transfer of Ashish Sharma, Principal Secretary with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s office, has therefore raised eyebrows in power circles. It was Sharma’s first stint in the Mantralaya but ended abruptly, and this is his third transfer in six months. With Ajit Pawar not showing up at the Mantralaya after recovering from dengue, and Sharma being transferred, work at the Dy CM’s office has come to a standstill.
No safety net
Many rebel Sena leaders facing corruption charges who decided to hitch their fortunes with Eknath Shinde believed that cosying up with BJP would give them immunity against a possible action against them by central investigation agencies. However, many of them are getting a bit hot under the collar despite having joined hands with BJP as inquiries against them have not been closed. Many MLAs are said to have raised this issue with CM Eknath Shinde who is said to have promised to take up their concerns with the powers that be.