Now Reading: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis gets power to override ministers
-
01
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis gets power to override ministers
The Maharashtra government has notified the 'Maharashtra Government Rules of Business, 2026', granting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis the authority to override any minister's decision in the public interest, except in quasi-judicial matters. The notification was issued by state chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal through the general administration department on August 14.
The rules state that the CM may override a decision by recording reasons in writing. The Times of India reports the move comes after a 2023 Bombay High Court order that quashed then CM Eknath Shinde's intervention in a cooperative bank recruitment case, ruling that the CM had no independent power to review or modify a minister's decision. The Federal notes the new rule could alter equations within the Mahayuti coalition government of BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP.
The notification also mandates that departments must obtain finance department concurrence for any revenue loss or expenditure, and that any matter likely to bring the state into controversy with the central government must be reported to the CM and governor.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times of India frames the notification as a routine procedural update, leading with the CM's new authority and quoting the Bombay High Court context neutrally. The Federal emphasizes the political implications for the Mahayuti coalition and highlights the 2023 court ruling that had denied the CM such powers. The critical framing from The Federal suggests the rule centralizes power, while Times of India treats it as administrative clarification. A measured reading: the notification codifies a power the court had previously said did not exist, but exempts quasi-judicial matters, limiting its scope. Watch for any legal challenge from coalition partners.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), thefederal.com (government critical)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
