CM divests Sena of MSRTC head post, appoints IAS

Since the dept is with the Sena, the CM was expected to take Shinde into confidence before making an exception to rule OFFICIAL, Transport dept

- Surendra P Gangan

MUMBAI: A brand-new episode has been added to the ongoing cold war between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde with the CM's decision to divest the Shiv Sena of the post of head of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

In a first, Fadnavis has appointed an IAS officer to head state transport corporation, which, since its inception in 1960, has always been led by the transport minister or an elected representative.

As part of the ritual followed after a new government is voted in, the transport department moved a proposal to appoint the chairman of MSRTC and sent it to transport minister Pratap Sarnaik.