Amid ‘cash bag' row, the Shirsat problem: How Sena Minister has again stirred trouble for Shinde

Indian Express

21 hours ago

In October 2023, Sanjay Shirsat, then a Shiv Sena MLA who is now Maharashtra's Minister for Social Justice, invited journalists to see his latest acquisition – a plush penthouse in a 72-storey luxury tower in South Mumbai.
For Shirsat, a Dalit leader and former rickshaw driver from Aurangabad, the optics of gleaming real estate was meant to symbolise his rise from a working-class background to the state's power corridors. But it also marked the beginning of a narrative that has now spiralled into controversy.
Shirsat, known for his unfiltered comments and among the more visible faces in Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Sena, has since become one of its most controversial figures. Over the past year, his political career has been clouded by the Income Tax Department's notices, allegations of illegal land allotment, and now, a viral video showing him in his home with a bag allegedly full of cash.
Born in Mumbai's Chembur suburb to BEST bus driver Pandurang Shirsat, Sanjay grew up in a cramped home in Lal Dongar with six siblings. The family later moved to Aurangabad, their native district that was later renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Shirsat started his working life in a factory, but following his father's concern about his increasing union activity, he was handed a rickshaw to operate. Over time his activism shifted from labour issues to the local Shiv Sena unit. His rise through the then undivided party ranks was swift – elected twice as a corporator from Bansilal Nagar in 2000, he became Leader of the House in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation in 2001.
In 2009, he entered the big leagues, contesting and winning the Scheduled Caste-reserved Aurangabad West Assembly seat as one of the few Dalit leaders in his party.
Shirsat shot into statewide prominence in 2022, during Eknath Shinde's rebellion against Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's leadership. He was one of the first MLAs to openly criticise Uddhav, penning a public letter that accused him of being 'inaccessible' and isolating grassroots leaders. The letter described instances of the Sena MLAs waiting outside the then CM's residence, Varsha, for hours with no audience.
Despite being a vocal Shinde supporter, Shirsat was initially overlooked in the first Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government. The exclusion made him more vocal especially in Aurangabad, where his frequent press briefings often included sharp personal attacks against the Opposition leaders.
Eventually, he was placated with the chairmanship of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), and following the Mahayuti's return to power in the November 2024 Assembly polls, he was appointed the Minister for Social Justice and Guardian Minister for the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Since taking charge as a minister, Shirsat has been at the centre of several controversies. His aggressive style and frequent outbursts have alienated not only Opposition MVA leaders, but also members within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. In fact, many of the damaging allegations against him appear to have originated from disgruntled Mahayuti insiders.
One of his major critics has been AIMIM leader and ex-MP Imtiyaz Jaleel, who has relentlessly targeted Shirsat on various fronts. The first major allegation came earlier this year, when Jaleel claimed a 21,275-sq-m industrial plot in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation's (MIDC) Shendra area – originally reserved for a truck terminus – was improperly denotified and allotted to Shirsat's son, Siddhant. Jaleel alleged political favouritism and called for a central agency's probe into it.
In May this year, Shirsat's son was again in the news after his company emerged as the highest bidder for the government-seized VITS Hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Jaleel alleged the auction process, which set a base price of Rs 64.53 crore, was manipulated to benefit the minister's family. Following public pressure, the bid was withdrawn.
In May, Shirsat stoked further tension within the ruling coalition by publicly questioning the funding of the state's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides Rs 1,500 monthly to low-income women. He alleged crucial funds from his Social Justice department were being redirected to the scheme, hampering his ability to carry out his departmental programmes. His remarks, seen as a veiled swipe at Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar's Finance ministry, created ripples within the Mahayuti.
Earlier this month, Shirsat confirmed that he had received a notice from the I-T Department over the growth in his assets between 2019 and 2024. He said he had sought an extension to file a response. He also claimed Shinde's son and Lok Sabha MP, Shrikant Shinde, had also received a similar notice, before retracting his remark.
And then came the latest flashpoint. On Friday, the Sena (UBT) shared a video showing Shirsat lying in a bedroom, with what was alleged to be a bag stuffed with cash beside him. While Shirsat admitted the video was filmed in his own home, he dismissed the allegations, saying the bag contained his clothes from a recent tour.
Within the Mahayuti alliance, there is growing unease over the frequent controversies involving Shirsat and other Shinde Sena MLAs. While Shirsat has remained a loyalist of the Deputy CM, there is a view in the ruling camp that his conduct, remarks and cases have made him a 'liability' for the Sena chief.
With the Opposition seeking to consolidate their base ahead of upcoming local body elections, the Sena (UBT) has sharpened its attack on Shirsat. Also, amid the Uddhav Thackeray-Raj Thackeray consolidation, Shinde's inability or unwillingness to rein in his ministers risks weakening his credibility both with the Mahayuti partners as well as the voters.