Nagpur: As the Maharashtra Legislature’s winter session gears up to begin on December 8 in Nagpur, an unusual housing tussle has erupted among ministers over their official accommodation. With the number of Cabinet Ministers at an all-time high, nearly a dozen senior leaders may have to shift from the prestigious Ravi Bhavan to the more modest Nag Bhavan this year.
Traditionally, Ravi Bhavan, the city’s high-security government guesthouse, hosts Cabinet Ministers, while Ministers of State are allotted rooms at Nag Bhavan. However, this time, with 36 Cabinet Ministers and 6 Ministers of State in the Mahayuti Government, space has become a luxury.
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Ravi Bhavan, which includes the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s bungalow ‘Devgiri’, has around 30 cottages in total. Out of these, six are permanently reserved for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Legislative Council Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, and Opposition Leaders of both Houses. This leaves only 23 bungalows available for Cabinet Ministers.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister stays at the Ramgiri residence, and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar occupies the ‘Vijaygad’ bungalow. Even so, only 24 Cabinet members can be accommodated at Ravi Bhavan, leaving 12 ministers without space, forcing them to move to Nag Bhavan.
According to sources, the allocation will be based on seniority, not the order of oath-taking. Ministers with longer tenure in office are likely to retain their cottages in Ravi Bhavan, while newer faces in the Cabinet may have to pack their bags for Nag Bhavan.
To handle the delicate matter, a residential arrangement committee headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has been formed. Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari serves as the committee’s member-secretary, with senior PWD officials as members. The first round of discussions has already taken place, and the final decision is expected soon.
Interestingly, Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal’s office (Cottage No. 5) and Minister of State Dr. Pankaj Bhoir’s office (Cottage No. 6) at Ravi Bhavan may be vacated to make room for Cabinet Ministers during the session. However, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule is expected to retain his existing residence in Cottage No. 11.
As the countdown to the winter session begins, this reshuffle in ministerial accommodation has already created new equations and quiet discontent among the power corridors of Nagpur. The “battle of bungalows,” it seems, may become the session’s first unofficial drama.
