After state minister Sanjay Shirsat recently hinted at retiring from politics, his statement has stirred intense debate in Maharashtra’s political circles. Responding sharply, MLA Rohit Pawar on Monday lashed out at Shirsat, linking his remarks to the alleged CIDCO land scam.
“Didn’t you think of stopping when you were benefiting from CIDCO deals? Now that you’re about to lose your ministerial post, you suddenly want to retire from politics? Don’t use age as an excuse to run away,” Pawar said on X.
लाईव्ह | 📍नवी मुंबई | पत्रकारांशी संवाद | 27-10-2025
https://t.co/M6K0fV7WrK— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) October 27, 2025
Shirsat, who serves as the Minister for Social Justice and Guardian Minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, had said earlier, “I’ve worked as a corporator for 10 years and as an MLA for 20 years. I’ve experienced everything I dreamed of. It’s time to stop now.” His Diwali-time remark surprised his supporters and fueled speculation over whether he plans to exit politics or make way for the next generation of his family.
In his post, Rohit Pawar accused Shirsat of misusing power, saying, “You deprived locals of their rightful land and handed CIDCO property worth thousands of crores to private builders and the Bivalkar family. As long as people like you remain in politics, the public will continue to suffer. Don’t hide behind your age now, you’ll have to account for every inch of the Rs 5,000–6,000 crore government land diverted into private hands. No holidays now.”
Pawar also challenged Shirsat to a direct debate: “You decide the time and place, I’ll answer your questions face-to-face, but you must answer mine too.”
Shirsat’s comments have given fresh ammunition to the opposition, which now seems more aggressive. All eyes are on how he responds to the CIDCO land scam allegations and whether this controversy will lead to yet another minister facing political fallout.
What did Shirsat actually say?
“I’ve served as a corporator for 10 years and MLA for 20 years. I’ve achieved more than I ever imagined. But as one grows older, a time comes to stop. I’ve been thinking, instead of running around daily, shouldn’t I pause now? It feels like the right time,” Shirsat said.
He clarified there was no political pressure or frustration behind his statement: “I’m 64 now and will soon turn 65. I have time until 2029, by then, I’ll be 69. Naturally, one must plan ahead,” he added, hinting at an eventual retirement.
Meanwhile, in a separate post on X today, Rohit Pawar condemned the system over recent tragic deaths, saying, “Santosh Deshmukh, Somnath Suryawanshi, Mahadev Munde, Vaishnavi Hagawane, and now Dr Sampada Munde, these are not mere deaths but the result of a corrupt and decaying system. If governance were in capable hands, such tragedies could have been prevented. But today, power is used to silence opposition and protect vested interests. If the government fails to act responsibly, people must rise together to hold it accountable, or else honest individuals will keep paying the price while we remain silent spectators.”
संतोष देशमुख, सोमनाथ सूर्यवंशी, महादेव मुंडे, वैष्णवी हगवणे आणि आता डॉ. संपदा मुंडे हे किडलेल्या आणि भ्रष्ट व्यवस्थेने केलेले खून आहेत. सत्ता संवेदनशील आणि खमक्या हातात असेल तर हे रोखणं कठीण नाही, पण आज सत्तेचा वापर केवळ विरोधकाला संपवण्यासाठी आणि आपली दुकाने राखण्यासाठीच केला…
— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) October 27, 2025
