Minister and MLA of Maharashtra CM-led Shiv Sena engage in altercation in Vidhan Bhavan lobby

The fracas between Dada Bhuse, state Public Works Department (PWD) minister and Karjat MLA Mahendra Thorve, took place on the last day of the Budget session of the state legislature.

Mumbai: In what come as an embarrassment to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP-led Maha Yuti administration, two Shiv Sena MLAs had an altercation in the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai on the final day of the five-day brief budget session on Friday. 

The two MLAs involved are Dadaji Bhuse, who is the Public Works Minister, and Mahendra Thorve.

Bhuse, a four-time MLA from the Malegaon Outer seat, is considered to be the closest to Shinde, while Thorve represents Karjat in Raigad district. 

Shinde, however, has refrained from commenting on the issue, and it appears that the dispute has been resolved.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has described the incident as serious and referred to the other incidents, including the Ulhasnagar incident involving BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who opened fire at Shiv Sena local leader Mahesh Gaikwad and the firing involving Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek  Ghosalkar and businessman-philanthropist Mauris Noronha alias Mauris Bhai, who later shot himself in Borivali. 

The incident took place when Shinde, the chief leader of Shiv Sena, entered the Vidhan Bhavan complex along with other MLAs.

When Bhuse and Thorve argued, State Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai and Shiv Sena’s chief whip Bharat Gogawale intervened and resolved the issue. 

Both Bhuse and Thorve, however, later said that there was no altercation as the media is making it up.

“The two MLAs were discussing development works, during which one of them spoke loudly. We took them inside and resolved the matter,” said Desai. 

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he spoke to Bhuse and Thorve and both of them denied any scuffle between them.

However, in the Assembly, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan and Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar requested access to CCTV footage to clarify the incident.

“What has happened is serious,” said NCP (SCP) leader Jayant Patil. 

In the Council, Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve sought clarification on the issue.