Delayed Resignation: How Munde’s Exit Impacts Mahayuti and NCP’s Image

Mumbai, 5th March 2025: Nearly three months after the murder of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde has stepped down from his post. However, political analysts believe that the delay in his resignation has already tarnished the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s credibility in its second term.

Observers argue that the prolonged controversy has particularly damaged the reputation of Munde’s party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to distance itself from the issue, reinforcing the narrative that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was prepared to take action against a minister under scrutiny.

“If Munde had resigned immediately after his close associate’s name surfaced in the Deshmukh murder investigation, the political fallout would have been limited. However, the controversy kept growing over the past three months, hurting not just the NCP but also the Mahayuti coalition as a whole,” said a political analyst.

Following Munde’s resignation, Chief Minister Fadnavis confirmed that it had been accepted, a move that analysts interpret as an attempt to protect BJP’s public image.

“The BJP has been actively working to disassociate itself from Munde. A BJP MLA repeatedly raised the Deshmukh murder issue over the past few months, and the timing of Munde’s resignation—immediately after disturbing images from the case surfaced—indicates a calculated effort by Fadnavis to shield his party’s reputation,” explained political expert Prakash Pawar.

With Munde now out of the cabinet, political watchers are keen to see how long he remains sidelined and whether he will make a comeback in the government.