Mumbai: From being projected as a soft-spoken leader in a loincloth to facing questions over a purported video showing him with a transwoman, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) minister Narhari Zirwal’s political journey has taken a dramatic turn.
The Dindori MLA, who belongs to a tribal community, has been embroiled in multiple controversies over the past two months. The latest involves a purported video that shows him with a transperson in a compromising situation in a room at his official MLA’s residence, escalating Opposition demands for his resignation.
The controversy comes at a time when the Ashok Kharat episode had already put the ruling alliance under scrutiny. NCP leader Rupali Chakankar had to resign as chairperson of the State Women’s Commission over her alleged links with Kharat.
Kharat, who headed a Sinnar-based temple trust, claimed to be an astrologer. He was arrested by Nashik Police earlier this week after a woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over a period of two years by threatening her. Chakankar’s links to him were exposed after her photos with Kharat went viral online.
Against this backdrop, pressure is mounting on Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar to sack Zirwal, with Opposition leaders describing the alleged conduct as “obscene and unethical”.
Zirwal, the state’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) minister, had found himself in the middle of a controversy last month too, after an employee from his department was caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) allegedly accepting a bribe. Though no direct link to Zirwal was established, the episode triggered criticism and was seen as a warning sign. Now, with the purported video surfacing online, the Opposition has stepped up its attack, calling the minister’s conduct a “blot on public life” and citing “moral decline” in Maharashtra’s politics.
NCP MLC Amol Mitkari rushed to Zirwal’s defence, claiming the video—allegedly recorded five or six months ago—surfaced only after the Kharat issue became a political flashpoint. Calling it a conspiracy, Mitkari wrote on X that the clip was meant to “defame a simple, straightforward man” and divert attention from other controversies. “This is a trap and a conspiracy to defame a simple, straightforward man. Just because the Ashok Kharat issue was growing, this is to divert attention… nothing but hideous politics,” he said.
भोंदू बाबांबरोबर काही लोकांचं जे धार्मिक कनेक्शन उघड होतं ते समोर येत आहे असे लक्षात येताच सहा सात महिन्यापूर्वी काढून ठेवलेला श्री झिरवळ साहेबांचा व्हीडीओ आता अचानक कसा बाहेर आणला गेला?राज्याच्या उपमुख्यमंत्रीपदी व राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्षपदी आदरणीय सुनेत्रा वहिनींची निवड व्हावी ही…
— आ. अमोल गोदावरी रामकृष्ण मिटकरी (@amolmitkari22) March 26, 2026
Tribal leader from Dindori
Zirwal belongs to the tribal district of Dindori in Nashik and is a four-time MLA. Political analyst Abhay Deshpande said that while Zirwal may not be the most prominent tribal leader in Maharashtra, he remains an important figure for the community.
“During the ACB case also, he was given a clean chit because he is a tribal leader… removing him immediately would have invited allegations of breaking the party. So BJP protected him. But this discussion is not a good sign for the government. In this issue also, some action may be taken, but it remains to be seen how and when,” Deshpande said.
“With Ajit Pawar not there and allegations by the Opposition that BJP is trying to finish Pawar’s party, the chief minister will handle this gently. In two years, already two ministers had to resign. For a government with such a majority, that is not a good sign,” he added.
From humble beginnings to state cabinet
Narhari Zirwal was born into a modest family. His political journey began in the 1980s when he started following former Janata Dal MP Haribhau Mahale. He entered grassroots politics through the gram panchayat and became sarpanch of his village. He later served twice as a Panchayat Samiti member—first on a Janata Dal ticket and later on a Congress ticket.
A loyalist of Ajit Pawar, Zirwal joined the Nationalist Congress Party after its formation in 1999. He gradually emerged as one of the key tribal faces in the Nashik belt. In 2019, when Ajit Pawar took the early morning oath with Devendra Fadnavis, Zirwal was among the MLAs who followed him to Raj Bhavan. However, he returned to the Sharad Pawar camp the same evening, saying he could not betray someone he considered a father figure.
He was elected MLA for the first time in 2004. He lost the 2009 election by just 149 votes but returned to the Assembly in 2014 and has continued to win since.
Zirwal was made deputy speaker during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. After Congress leader Nana Patole resigned as Speaker in 2021, Zirwal began discharging the duties of the Speaker as well.
He again shot into the limelight in 2022 when Eknath Shinde and rebel MLAs brought down the MVA government. Following the rebellion, Zirwal issued disqualification notices to Shinde and 15 other MLAs.
However, in 2023, when Ajit Pawar split from the NCP, Zirwal backed him and joined the Mahayuti government. To placate his voters, he staged protests over tribal quota and recruitment issues. In September 2024, he announced an indefinite sit-in outside Mantralaya and wrote to then chief minister Eknath Shinde. A month later, he and other tribal leaders jumped from the third floor of the secretariat onto a safety net during the protest. “I am an Adivasi first and then an MLA and deputy speaker,” Zirwal had said.
During the 2024 Assembly elections, Zirwal strongly pitched for renomination from Dindori when there were indications that Shiv Sena (Shinde) might field a candidate. “There are 72 seats across Maharashtra where tribals make up between zero and 20 per cent of the electorate. If people see me as a leader who has worked for them, it could influence those voters. I know how little it takes to change an election result. I once lost by only 149 votes,” he had said.
He was eventually given the ticket and later inducted as Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) minister.
Earlier controversy
Earlier this year, the ACB allegedly caught an FDA clerk accepting a Rs 35,000 bribe at Mantralaya. The clerk, Rajendra Dherange, had allegedly demanded money from a complainant seeking restoration of a medical licence. Zirwal had then said he would quit if any link to him was established.
“What has happened is serious. The accused will have to face the consequences… You all know my conduct. I don’t indulge in such things. If any link to me is proved, I will quit,” he had told reporters.
Despite Opposition criticism, the Mahayuti government did not take action at the time, and the controversy gradually subsided.
Fresh row over video
But now after this video went viral, Opposition leaders have renewed their attack. Congress leaders called it a “glaring example of moral degradation” in Maharashtra’s politics and demanded action. Activist Anjali Damania said a senior minister should maintain propriety and called for a thorough probe, while AAP leaders questioned the lack of action against him.
Mitkari, however, alleged that Zirwal had become a target after he backed Sunetra Pawar and suggested that both NCP factions merge.
So far, no senior leader from the government has publicly demanded Zirwal’s resignation. Even earlier, when the bribery controversy surfaced, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said no evidence was found against him.
Zirwal has denied wrongdoing, telling a Marathi news channel that the footage was manipulated. “It is an assembled video and leaked only with the intention of blackmail… Nobody has asked for my resignation,” he said, though he admitted knowing the transperson for about five years.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)