India, March 12 -- BJP forest minister Ganesh Naik has written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding that the government order to merge 14 villages on the Thane and Kalyan border with Navi Mumbai be revoked. The government resolution was issued in March last year during Eknath Shinde's tenure as chief minister.

The villages in question are Dahisar, Pimpri, Valivali, Bhandarali, Goteghar, Mokashi, Uttarshiv, Nagaon, Navali, Niyu, Narivali, Bamali, Wakan and Baje.

The demand is being seen as yet another clash between the BJP and Shiv Sena, a conflict that has seen Fadnavis cancel or stay a number of Shinde's decisions. Naik, on his part, has been taking on Shiv Sena chief Shinde in his stronghold, Thane-although Naik is the guardi...