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On a day the Election Commission of India (EC) published voter rolls in Bihar after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) adhering to its first deadline, it rebuffed charges of the ‘voter theft’ accusations levelled by LoP Rahul Gandhi, saying that the EC “ignores such baseless allegations”. On his part, Rahul claimed that an independent probe by the Opposition had revealed that the EC was allegedly involved in a massive “vote theft” to benefit the ruling BJP. He apparently warned those within the Commission of working against India, and “this is no less than treason. We will find you wherever you are, even if you are retired.” Rahul claimed that the Opposition’s suspicions grew after the results of the Madhya Pradesh and Lok Sabha elections. “Those only deepened after the Maharashtra Assembly polls — especially when we saw that 1 crore new voters had been added to the final voter list. That’s when we launched our own six month investigation”. He claimed his probe had uncovered an “atom bomb”. If Rahul fancied SIR in Bihar helped him unite the Opposition, he may be up for a shock. SIR is not having much traction in Bihar. Even RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav is not focussing on it. Bihar Congress leaders admit no one wants to hype the SIR bogey as they feel it would put off general category voters. With Bihar SIR protest heading nowhere, one hears that Rahul is planning to take voter theft to Karnataka in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat where the BJP won by 32,707 votes. He claims thousands of new voters aged “way above 18 years” were enrolled in one seat, a point endorsed by CM Siddaramaiah. Besides, deputy CM DK Shivkumar has not been able to reconcile the loss of Bangalore Rural (Lok Sabha) seat contested by his brother DK Suresh.
Donald Trump’s ‘dead economy’ slur upon India/Russia has irked India that officially eschewed interest to purchase the fifth-generation F35 fighter jets. Short Post reported earlier on India’s reluctance to buy the American planes. The U.S. president Trump’s disparaging India talks will adversely impact the U.S. instead. Well-placed sources said, “India’s trade relations with the USA also included wide-ranging exposure to American bond markets for relationship building as indirectly sought by the USA. Trump’s undiplomatic language dissipated this informal American pressure and will evaporate Indian government/private sector spending on American treasury bonds hereon.” Over five years, demand for the U.S. government bonds declined to historically lowest levels (-17%). With foreign governments emulating India’s scaling down of financial spreads in the U.S. bonds and the American Federal Reserve also scaling down its own exposure over rising interest rates, the economic outlook for the Trump government, which raises $2 trillion annually to service its fiscal deficit, appears bleak. India partnered the U.S. economically to encourage her emphasis on exports to the USA. Trump’s belligerent stance repeatedly failed to get India to buckle down over higher tariffs pressures, again put off till August 8, with U.S. dairy and agricultural products imposition upon Indian markets staved off effectively. While concerns linger regarding its pharma and auto sectors India doubled down on indigenous manufacturing that coincidentally is coming of age today. Indian PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ exhortation to Gen ‘Z’ to manufacture semiconductor chips witnessed 20 varieties already past the testing phase, set for launch in six months. Similarly, 48,000 indigenously fabricated Close Quarter Battle) carbine assault rifles developed in collaboration between DRDO and Bharat Forge, set to reach 70,000 units...
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a substantial 30% hike in honorarium for community Durga Puja organisers, raising the amount from Rs 85,000 last year to Rs 1.10 lakh per club. Playing high on Hindutva card, with approximately 45,000 clubs organising community pujas across the state, the move will cost the state exchequer an estimated Rs 495 crore. Didi also urged electricity supply companies to offer an 80% rebate to puja committees on power usage. The announcement, coming just months before the State Assembly elections, sparked sharp criticism from the Opposition parties, which termed the hike a “bribe” by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Emphasising the cultural and emotional significance of Durga Puja in Bengal, the CM urged organisers to prioritise safety and crowd control over competition. She encouraged clubs to deploy more volunteers and maintain separate entry and exit routes in pandals. She also appealed to the puja committees to support returning migrant workers who, she claimed, have faced mistreatment in BJP-ruled states. This year’s Durga Puja festivities will take place in the last week of September, followed by the annual carnival on October 5.
Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis whose ministers have been facing much Opposition heat for their resignations, has finally stated that there would be no more resignations coming in from his ministers. Fadnavis, who maintains an impeccable reputation, both with his public acts and deeds, has been much upset with the shenanigans of his coalition ministers and even publicly criticised them for sullying the image of his government. He seems to have been forced to go with them for now. Fadnavis clearly seems to have given in to Ajit Pawar’s alibi that any kind of resignation would have been akin to playing into the hands of the Opposition. In the case of the agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, it was a case of fighting a more personal battle for Ajit Pawar, since the campaign against Kokate was being led by his own nephew Rohit Pawar with whom he does not have a good equation. With the face saver of reshuffle for Kokate, Ajit Pawar scores an ace by not yielding in to the campaign against his ministers and also gains an upper hand over the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. As regards the ministers of the other coalition partner Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, his personal interventions with the home minister Amit Shah seems to have saved his ministers from Fadnavis’ wrath. Shinde has been rushing to Delhi multiple times including right in the midst of the monsoon assembly session after three of his ministers faced much heat over Sena MLA assaulting canteen staff, and other operating ladies bars. The Opposition has already taken the toll of one minister, Dhananjay Munde, within the first year of Devendra Fadnavis 3.0 term.
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam has set the political cat among the pigeons. His meetings with chief minister MK Stalin, the first in a morning walk that was said to be coincidental and the second a formal meeting at the CM’s residence, may have opened a whole new avenue before the 2026 polls. There is a likelihood that Stalin will welcome OPS and his rump element from the AIADMK into the DMK+ fold because he believes in all forces joining a larger alliance like the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. In political terms, OPS may have very little to offer in terms of vote catching abilities, but his coming into the alliance would deliver an anti-AIADMK and anti-BJP message that may resonate with voters. Before ‘walking’ towards a DMK embrace just after he was refused a meeting with the PM on his recent visit to TN, OPS flirted with the idea of joining actor-politico Vijay if only to irritate the AIADMK+ combine. What Stalin sees in all this is an opportunity to gather all the forces he can so that he will be in a stronger bargaining position against the VCK, which has of late been showing some signs of hitching its fortunes to Vijay as a rising star. There is a possibility of DMK inviting Dr Ramadoss and his Vanniyar vote base into the fold in case VCK gets too ambitious in seat-sharing. And in all this, Stalin is dealing from a position of strength as he has the state machinery behind him to ward off what little anti-incumbency that may have gathered so far in his 50 months in office.
One can understand the sadness in Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father, Ranganathan Easwaran, who has been waiting patiently for his son to be capped in Test cricket. Abhimanyu has proved his mettle as an opening batter in first class cricket for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, for teams in the Duleep Trophy and for India ‘A’. The right hander has played 103 matches, amassed 7841 runs with 27 x 100s and 31 x 50 plus scores. He has played 89 one-day matches, scored 3857 runs, with 9 x 100s and 23 x 50 plus scores. Abhimanyu has been around for a dozen years, and perhaps one with these numbers would have played for India. The fact, unfortunately though is, he has not, while the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan have marched forward. Abhimanyu has been part of two big five-Test series in Australia and England and the team management have not found it ripe and fit for him to pad up even once. With Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal and KL Rahul, being the opening pair in the last two and a half years, the Sharma-Rahul Dravid team could not find a place for him. Ditto with Sharma and Gautam Gambhir and now Shubman Gill and Gambhir have not looked at him, when on this tour of England, there appeared to be openings. Those who have mattered on this tour — Captain, Coach and the Chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar — did not seem to have the confidence to pick him ahead of the middle order batters Karun Nair — on a comeback– or the left-hander Sudharsan. Abhimanyu’s father is peeved because his son has scored runs, has been picked in the squad, but not capped yet. The big question now is whether Abhimanyu will make the Test cut at all!
Surprisingly, under the BJP-led chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the law and order situation in Odisha has been going from bad to worse with rape, mineral theft, bashing up government officers becoming the order of day. Speculation is rife that the state government is mulling to take a leaf out of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s playbook and implement gangster law. Women safety has become the top priority. Bhabani Shankar Bhoi Talasara, BJP MLA and Dy speaker in Odisha Assembly has given his suggestion in writing to the government to incorporate UP style gangster law in Odisha. It is learnt that CM Majhi seems inclined to adopt his suggestions. Questions are being asked whether the Majhi government has the guts to copy and implement Yogi’s model of empowering police to contain crime including encounters to contain goonda raj? With the Opposition baying for his blood Majhi has no elbow room and will be forced to implement the law.
Former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar’s sensational disclosure that he had been ordered to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in connection with the Malegaon Bomb blast case has created a no-win situation for the Congress party, which has retreated somewhat from its intransigent stand about the NIA court verdict that has acquitted all seven accused. Mujawar has named then top police boss Parambir Singh though not directly Hemant Karkare, who led the investigation in the initial months. Alarmed by the threat of a Hindu backlash, former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan has declared that the term ‘Saffron Terror’ should be replaced with ‘Sanatan Terror’ by arguing that terror has no religion. Chavan adopted this tactic after former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde was blamed all around for coining the term Saffron Terror. Similarly, most top Congress leaders have desisted from commenting on the issue. To add to the party’s woes, Mujawar said he had been inducted into the ATS with the object of establishing the blast as an act of saffron terror. Mujawar declined to oblige the brass as arresting Bhagwat would have been much beyond his sphere, he said. Mujawar expressed happiness over the verdict and said he was happy that he, too, had contributed in this direction to a small extent. Mujawar was implicated in several cases but was acquitted in all of them. However, his long police career was destroyed, he lamented.
Khushbu Sundar is the classic evolutionary survivor. She walked into the DMK and instantly became Kalaignar’s favoured acolyte. Quitting the DMK, she had a brief flirtation with the Congress and a stormy exit in 2020 leading to her entry into the BJP’s power establishment. She remains a high-profile activist and was rewarded with a post in the Women’s Commission. But a leadership status eluded her, despite her avowed talent as a public speaker. In every TV debate, she could shine with her English fluency and general knowledge. She was no glamour actress wallflower, depending on her star attraction to make heads turn …she could hold her own, authoritatively. Perhaps it is this power profile …perhaps her Muslim identity …or even her fluency in Tamil that has now raised her status to vice president, TN BJP. What timing! Just as she was about to work her attraction quotient of this mint new status, two entrants to the DMK camp have bunged a lethal spanner on her and the BJP. DMDK President Premalatha Vijaykanth has walked into Stalin’s charmed circle. And OPS, another survivor of doubtful worth has also sashayed into the DMK camp. Khushbu, already facing the handicap of a nationalist party facing two local Dravidian establishments in TN, has to now face the combined onslaught of me-too aspirants who are bound to affect the poll logic. Khushbu still tries her best…she appealed to TVK newbie chief Vijay to join the BJP alliance to unseat the DMK.
The retention of controversial minister Manikrao Kokate in the team of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has generated angry reactions across Maharashtra. Kokate was divested of his agriculture portfolio after he was caught playing rummy on his mobile phone in the legislature session. Now, he has been transferred to the Sports and Youth Welfare department though there were vociferous demands for his removal altogether. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has shielded Kokate to the discomfiture of the Mahayuti alliance, it is felt. A much-maligned politician, Kokate has been disrobed by social worker Anjali Damania, whose chagrin for his continuation has no bounds. Damania has described how Kokate has changed eight parties over the past 26 years. His wealth in 2014 was Rs 6 crore, which shot up to Rs 21 crore in 2019 and swelled to Rs 48 crore in 2024, Damania has stated. Damania is a crusader who has embarrassed many high and mighty with one disclosure after another. Her baring of Kokate’s ‘progress’ has come as little surprise since the minister is known for his audacious behaviour for quite some time. Kokate’s nemesis was NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar, who first circulated the clip showing Kokate playing rummy on his mobile inside the house. Fadnavis had indicated that Kokate will face a penalty. However, the mere transfer of Kokate is not considered adequate.
Union minister Amit Shah’s 2-day Mumbai visit has posed more problems for the ruling 3-party Mahayuti alliance than it has solved, it seems. Shah visited Raigad Fort to pay tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Later he held discussions with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and both DCMs, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, together and separately. Within minutes of his departure, social media platforms were abuzz with posts that Shinde had complained to Shah that the departments allotted to his party were not obtaining financial provisions. While Shinde has kept mum about this, Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, has explained that nothing of the sort has happened. Pawar said he had accompanied Shah throughout the latter’s visit and was not aware of Shinde complaining to the top leader. Significantly, Fadnavis, too, has not commented on the posts. After the Raigad Fort visit, Shah lunched at the residence of NCP (Ajit) leader Sunil Tatkare, who is among the main adversaries of the Shiv Sena led by Shinde in Raigad district. His daughter Aditi is a cabinet minister while Shinde’s ardent supporter Bharat Gogawale from the district is still awaiting a ministership. Shah’s visit was expected to unravel the complication. Instead, leaders from both sides have started coming out with their own versions, once again creating an impression that the Mahayuti is still struggling to iron out its internal wrinkles.
The next Chief Justice of India is tipped to be Justice Bhushan Gavai, who started his legal career from Amaravati in Maharashtra. He is the son of veteran parliamentarian late Ramkrishna Gavai. According to indications available here, Gavai will be administered the oath of office on 14 May when present CJI Sanjeev Khanna retires. He is due to retire on 23 November 2025. Born on 24 November 1960, Gavai started practising in Mumbai High Court. For some time, he was junior to senior lawyer Raja Bhosale, who later worked as a HC judge for some time. Gavai was first appointed as a judge at the Nagpur bench of the HC and later elevated to the Supreme Court on 24 May 2019. Gavai has been known for many of his landmark judgments, especially those upholding fundamental rights. He will head the judiciary soon after earlier Maharashtra jurist DY Chandrachud, retired. While his father, YV Chandrachud, was CJI, Gavai’s father RS Gavai was a member of the Maharashtra legislature as well as Parliament of India. He also functioned as governor of Bihar, Sikkim and Kerala. Justice Gavai initiated some new trends in the Apex Court. For instance, he fixed one day every week for hearing public interest litigations. Gavai’s criticism of the government on deploying bulldozers to raze properties of some of the accused in Uttar Pradesh had proved to be an eye opener.
The crucial role played by the illustrious Maharashtra police officer Sadanand Date, who belongs to the 1990 IPS batch, has been recalled by his colleagues and admirers in bringing back Pakistan-born terrorist Tahawwur Rana. Presently the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief, Date had arranged and implemented the hanging of Ajmal Kasab in Pune’s Yerawada jail. The execution of the entire plan was so secret that then Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde was perhaps the only person outside the team that took Kasab to Pune from Mumbai’s Arthur Road prison for the final moment. Date has been known as an upright officer, famous for his physical fitness and clean image. He is due for retirement on 31 December 2026. Before taking over as NIA chief, Date headed the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Maharashtra. Date was among those who were injured on the night of 26 November 2008 during the Pakistani terror attack on Mumbai. When Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail, two of the attackers, were showering bullets at south Mumbai’s Cama hospital, Date rushed to the spot with a small contingent. Although others were injured, Date alone fought with the terrorists for over 40 minutes. He was gravely injured after a grenade was thrown at him. Thanks to Date’s courage, several people could escape and save their lives. Date is now heading the NIA, which is masterminding the prosecution of Tahawwur Rana. It is believed that his meticulous building up of the case against the 26/11 plotter will pass the judicial scrutiny and Rana will be sent to the gallows soon.
Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar and her illustrious family has been lauded by Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar now that it is maligned by several political leaders over the tragic death of a woman who succumbed to the medical complications after delivering a twin. It is alleged that the hospital personnel demanded an advance payment of Rs 10 lakh from the patient’s kin and did not treat her so that her husband was compelled to take her to another hospital where she died. The Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, where she was not admitted, has been blamed for her demise and has become the target of verbal attacks. The hospital with over 800 beds is considered among the most reputed. It was inaugurated by BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the sprawling plot of land for the hospital was given to the Mangeshkar family at a rupee’s lease rent by a Pune family after veteran leader Sharad Pawar put in a word. Then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, too, was helpful in the project. Although members of the Mangeshkar family are not active in the day-to-day running of the hospital, certain politicians have been attacking them. So far, the Mangeshkar family has remained silent while chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has appointed three committees to investigate various angles connected with the administration of the hospital. Ajit Pawar has admonished the critics by reminding them about Mangeshkar family’s contribution. It is known to the whole world, so none should cast aspersions on it, he has said. Presently, heavy police bandobast has been deployed around the hospital.
The mud-slinging against political opponents is not uncommon but in Maharashtra, it is reaching another level. At the receiving end in this case is senior minister Girish Mahajan from Jalgaon in north Maharashtra. The attacker is his former mentor and BJP boss Eknath Khadse, who is now in the Nationalist Congress party led by Sharad Pawar. Challenging Khadse to prove the charges, Mahajan has refuted the insinuations. Over the past few years, Mahajan has emerged as a confidant of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He has turned the district saffron to the discomfiture of Khadse, who was then leader Gopinath Munde’s right hand. Hit by domestic tragedies, Khadse left the BJP some time ago to join Sharad Pawar. Even then, the BJP granted candidatures to his family members. But unsatisfied and angry with Fadnavis for various reasons, Khadse walked out of the party. However, hurt by successive setbacks suffered by the NCP, he desperately knocked on the BJP’s doors for readmission. However, his efforts have been thwarted. At the same time, Mahajan’s star has been rising. Unable to control his chagrin, Khadse has alleged that Mahajan has extra-marital ties with a senior woman IAS officer in the state. As evidence, he has quoted a journalist, who first made the allegation in a podcast. As the Fadnavis government is buffeted by the sordid deeds of sacked minister Dhananjay Munde, it will have to tread carefully while dealing with the serious charges against Mahajan. It is for the first time that the bureaucracy is made a target of such scandals.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is facing a humiliation, this time over the Waqf Amendment Act as Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray has refused to move the Supreme Court over the matter. MVA was already facing tensions since veteran leader Sharad Pawar had stayed over in Mumbai when the Rajya Sabha was voting on the Bill to amend the Waqf Act. When quizzed about his absence at such a crucial juncture, his followers had merely said that his appointments in Mumbai had been decided much earlier. Although both the Sena (UBT) and Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party had opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha, their sudden change of heart when voting started in the RS had sent out confusing signals. For a long time, no single party or leader can say with certainty what policy Pawar will adopt for a particular matter. Pawar goes ahead with what he feels needs to be done. For instance, his cosy relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained a matter of political intrigue. Similarly, his free access to industrialist Gautam Adani has rubbed the Congress party the wrong way since its leader Rahul Gandhi does not spare a single opportunity to abuse Adani and Ambani groups. Despite this, Pawar is unfazed. It was owing to his unambiguous stand that no Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) could be set up when there was a furore against Adani over the Hindenburg disclosures. Pawar’s stance about the Waqf Act is just one more example and MVA will have to gulp it without complaining.
Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram has thanked the Modi government for exempting Adivasi (tribal) lands from the purview of the newly amended Waqf Board Act. An important outfit of the Sangh Parivar, the Ashram had urged the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for such a relaxation. It had brought to the notice of the JPC that large scale Waqf registrations had been loaded on the Adivasi lands in several states in contravention of the 5th and 6th Schedule of the Constitution. After verifying the claim, the JPC recommended to the government to grant such an exemption. Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju was also petitioned by the Ashram. Its president Satyendra Singh has thanked the Union government for this gesture. In a statement, Singh says the Adivasis across the country are elated owing to this decision, announced by Rijiju in the Lok Sabha while speaking on the Waqf Act Amendment Bill. The other insertion in the new Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 provides for prevention of ASI-protected monuments. It pertains to historical monuments. The amendment concerned says that any declaration or notification issued under this Act or under any previous Act in respect of Waqf properties shall be void, if such property was a protected monument or protected area under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904 or the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, at the time of such declaration or notification. This means ASI-protected monuments have now been excluded from Waqf’s ambit.
Now that both the houses of Parliament have passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 with a comfortable majority for the ruling NDA, indications are that the political permutations and combinations in Maharashtra will emerge in a different shape. Maharashtra has over 92,000 acres of land named as Waqf properties. Their worth can run into thousands of crore rupees if developed systematically. But the more dominant consideration will be political. Certain sections in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi are reported to be uneasy since their party whips had compelled them to vote against the Bill contrary to their will. Those claiming to be staunch Hindutva proponents are hence feeling the dilemma more acutely. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant has openly invited such elements to the saffron fold while speaking on the Bill in the Lok Sabha. Ever since the Fadnavis government took over, there has been a steady trickle from the MVA towards either the BJP or the NCP led by Ajit Pawar or the Shiv Sena under Shinde. On the other hand, MVA leaders are finding it difficult to keep their flocks together. Sensing the potential of such a huge land bank, the Centre will be devising a formula that will further its objective of liberating the Waqf properties from the clutches of a few and involve a larger number of Muslims in running the affairs of various Waqf boards. Given the volume of opportunities to be generated, shifting of political loyalties is expected to accelerate in near future.
A mystery surrounding a Rolls Royce car and its connection with arrested journalist Prashant Koratkar has deepened with a Pune-based builder, Tushar Kalate, claiming that the car belongs to him and not to the accused. The car, WB02 AB0123, originally belonged to Mahesh Motewar, a chit fund fraudster who is now out on bail. Koratkar’s pictures along with car and Tushar Kalate as well as a controversial person, Manohar Bhosale, have generated a lot of speculation since Koratkar was wanted by the police for threatening a historian over a caste angle. Based in Nagpur, he eluded arrest for about a month and was finally arrested in Telangana. Even the arrest became a major issue since he was escorted there by a political party worker. Kalate has declared through a press statement that he has no connection whatsoever with Koratkar. About the pictures, he has clarified that Koratkar met him and wished that a picture of himself be taken in front of the car. “As Koratkar said he was a journalist, I obliged him and the picture was taken,” Kalate says. He has claimed that the car was acquired by him in 2017 and the legal formalities about the transfer of ownership are underway. Kalate was in the news in the past since he had fought an assembly election as an independent. It is said that he had purchased a helicopter, too. The authorities are investigating the links within the links in the mystery.
Even before the storm over the tomb of oppressor emperor Aurangzeb has subsided in Maharashtra, the samadhi of a dog and a controversy over its supposed connection with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has become a contentious issue. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has castigated those indulging into the feud. “Is it needed to create a dispute over every matter,” he asked and observed that fuelling such passions is not right. The samadhi of dog ‘Vaghyaa’ is in front of the spot where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was cremated at Raigad fort, his capital in Konkan in 1680. Legend has it that Vaghyaa leapt into the funeral pyre as it was overcome with grief. The monument has been standing there for nearly a century. While a section has demanded that it should be removed since there is no historical record about the existence of the dog, those asking for its protection have extended arguments in support of their stand. Remarks by some individuals have sent out signals that the controversy can become a major issue. Hence Fadnavis has suggested that a solution should be found through a dialogue. Maratha reservation demand’s proponent Manoj Jarange Patil, too, has asked if casteist quarrels are wanted over dogs and cats. His stand is expected to quell the tension palpitating in the state as some prominent leaders too have jumped into the arguments.
The Maharashtra legislature’s budget session has concluded amidst a cascade of political allegations and counter-charges, giving ample indications that the battle will not subside any time soon. The main criticism against both sides of the house is that the issues which are not relevant to the common man have taken up more time in the house than they deserve. Similarly, all the three incidents that rocked the legislature repeatedly are old, except for the Nagpur violence. Maharashtra legislature was once described as a model house but of late, incidents of overlooking protocol and foul language in front of television cameras have been occurring frequently. The session was marred by the ruckus over the demand for demolition of Aurangzeb’s tomb. The Opposition tried to corner chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the thorny issue but could not dent his argument that the tomb was declared as a protected monument by the Congress government long ago. The Opposition also failed to bring the government to its knees over its inability to raise the monthly allowance of Ladki Bahin Yojana from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100. The other stormy issue was the tragic death of Disha Salian since the name of Aaditya Thackeray was time and again attempted to be linked with her end. However, Uddhav Thackeray dismissed a question regarding the matter in a few words but the ruling side seems to be determined to highlight the issue at every available opportunity.
The BJP’s plans to distribute ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ kits to 32 lakh poor Muslims for celebrating the Eid festival in Bihar has been described by its arch enemy Uddhav Thackeray as ‘Saugat-e-Satta.’ Linking this gesture with the upcoming Bihar polls, the former Maharashtra chief minister has posed several questions for the saffron party. He has asked if the scheme will be for the election only or shall continue even later. Uddhav has been sore ever since his Maha Vikas Aghadi government was pulled down by his one-time right hand Eknath Shinde, who became the CM and is now the DCM in the state. Uddhav lambasted the BJP and demanded to know why it had retained green colour in its party flag if it was using slogans like ‘Batenge toh Katenge.’ He reminded the BJP that various of its pre-election assurances were not fulfilled. In a strong rebuttal, Shinde ridiculed Uddhav for not participating in the legislative council proceedings. “Some people only sign the member attendance register and then talk before the media but remain mute in the house,” Shinde said, taking a swipe at his erstwhile mentor. Minister Nitesh Rane, too, joined the firing squad. He said Uddhav had declared that he would resign membership of the council when he stepped down as CM in 2022 but has not kept even his own word. The war of words between the two sides will intensify, according to signals available now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the RSS headquarters at Nagpur on March 30 will prove to be a gamechanger since the venue is situated in the Mahal area, where a horrific communal riot had rocked the nation three days ago. It is felt that the instigation for the unrest and Modi’s maiden visit to the saffron organisation’s birthplace could have some connection. However, there is no such link found so far. Nonetheless, the police have spread a vast net to nab the culprits, direct and indirect. As more and more details are being uncovered, the security agencies will have to be extra cautious for the PM’s visit. Since coming to power at the Centre in 2014, Modi has not visited the RSS headquarters, giving his detractors an opportunity to question his decision of staying away from the place considered sacred by RSS rank and file. Prior to becoming PM, Modi had frequently visited the place. During his visit, Modi will lay the foundation stone for an expansion project of Madhav Netralaya, the eye medical facility. The event will be attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari. The proposed visit has generated considerable interest since Modi is expected to make some major announcement. Incidentally, Modi will not be the first sitting PM to visit the RSS headquarters at Reshimbagh, Nagpur. In the past, then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had paid a visit to the venue.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has shown an interest in partnering with Maharashtra to strengthen its initiatives in the fields of AI-driven advancements in health, agriculture and infrastructure, along with dengue and malaria control. This has been the outcome of a meeting Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had in Mumbai with him. Fadnavis has been vigorously campaigning for attracting more and more FDI in the state so as to supplement the PM’s dream by taking Maharashtra’s GDP share to $ 1 trillion. Hence, the visit of Gates is considered a major achievement for him. Gates also was briefed on the famous Ladki Bahin Scheme. Microsoft and the Gates Foundation have reportedly expressed an interest in participating in these initiatives, besides supporting the digitalisation of women’s financial transactions. Fadnavis told him that his government’s vision will include digitalisation in every sector and the establishment of a Skill University with the help of Microsoft. A scheme to train 10,000 women in AI with a view to fostering inclusivity in the tech revolution was also discussed. The first-ever meeting between Fadnavis and Gates is described as a milestone by both sides. Gates later tweeted on ‘X’: “Thank you, Dev Fadnavis for sharing your vision for a Viksit Maharashtra. I’m excited about opportunities to collaborate on digital platforms for women’s livelihood and AI-driven solutions in sectors like health and agriculture. Looking forward to working together to improve lives across Maharashtra.”
Industrialist Gautam Adani’s 90-minute late night Saturday meeting (Mar 15) with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has raised many an eyebrow. The meeting at ‘Sagar’ bungalow of the CM is considered meaningful since the Adani Group has only recently bagged a huge redevelopment contract in north Mumbai’s Goregaon suburb. The project to redevelop Motilal Nagar colony at a cost of Rs 36,000 crore is among the largest in the metropolis. The group has been under attack by the political opposition of the Fadnavis government in connection ever since it won the prestigious Dharavi redevelopment project. Allegations are made that the ruling saffron coalition is giving away Mumbai to Adani on a platter. Not deterred, Adani has maintained contacts with the Nationalist Congress party founder Sharad Pawar and Fadnavis. Both have had meetings on a couple of occasions during the past few months. The Saturday meeting began around 11 pm and ended after midnight. The 143-acre land parcel is in Goregaon, a stronghold of the BJP. Adani’s name was embroiled in the Hindenburg controversy last year. At the time, Pawar had defended the industrialist stoutly. The result was that the demand to appoint a joint parliamentary committee proved to be stillborn. Similarly, Pawar’s visit to Adani’s office and residence in Ahmedabad had attracted vast media attention. Earlier, Pawar and Adani had inaugurated a factory in Sanand in Gujarat. Except for a token protest, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has remained aloof so far about Adani.
Oppressor Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Marathwada region of Maharashtra is threatened to be demolished with a Babri-like operation. The warning has been issued by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal leaders after a crescendo took place with the release of Hindi movie Chhaava that depicts the tragic end of Chhatrapati Sambhaji due to the torture by Aurangzeb. The demand was first voiced by Udayan Raje Bhosale, BJP MP from Satara and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s direct descendent. Aurangzeb spent the last 27 years in Maharashtra to end the Maratha rule but was unsuccessful. He breathed his last at Ahilya Nagar and was buried at Khultabad near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, respecting his last wish. The tombs of Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan, who had come to eliminate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, have been sore points for Hindutva proponents. Aurangzeb’s tomb is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. The saffron organisations have planned state wide protests to press their demand to do away with Aurangzeb tomb, failing which the next course of action will be declared. However, some of their leaders have reminded the government of the Kar Seva for the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the subsequent demolition of the Babri, which had come up at the location. Leaders of the Congress party and the NCP (SP) faction have condemned the announcement. Some of them have argued that the tomb should be preserved as a symbol of defeat of the Emperor and his end in frustration in Maharashtra.
For the first time perhaps in India, police personnel in a district have started wearing just their names and not their surnames on their uniform nameplates. This has happened in the strife-stricken Beed district of Marathwada region in Maharashtra. Superintendent of Police Navneet Kanwat implemented this measure after allegations became rampant that even the police force in the district had been operating on a caste basis. At the core of the charge is the caste-based rift between the powerful Maratha and Vanjari communities ever since influential minister Dhananjay Munde was embroiled in a serious episode which was triggered off due to the heinous murder of a sarpanch, Santosh Deshmukh, allegedly by henchmen of Munde. After tremendous pressure was exerted, he had to resign since the Mahayuti government was in the dock owing to the collapsed law and order situation in the district. As the caste related allegations became a crescendo, Kanwat decided to minimize the gravity of the situation by ordering the police personnel to just display their names and not the surnames. He himself wears the nameplate that merely says Navneet. The district became a hotbed of tension since Maratha reservation proponent Manoj Jarange, who belongs to the district, launched an agitation to press the demand, enraging the OBC community since he demanded a reservation share from the OBC quota. The repercussions of the class between the two communities reflected in the Lok Sabha elections last year as the Mahayuti lost heavily. Social engineering measures by the Mahayuti strategists turned the tables in the legislative assembly election that was swept by the saffron alliance. Navneet has been praised by non-partisan groups for this unprecedented experiment.
The possibility of the coming together of veteran leader Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, has continued to be a topic of great interest in Maharashtra ’s politics. Though neither has given any such indication, the media does not let go of even a slightest such signal. The speculation has been revived as Ajit’s second son Jay called on the patriarch to seek the blessings of the family elder. Pawar and his wife Pratibha as well as other clan members greeted Jay and the bride-to-be, Rutuja Patil at their home. Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule released a picture of the union, making it a breaking news. The betrothal will take place in Pune on 10 April. Rutuja is the daughter of Praveen Patil, who runs a social media firm. Jay was seen actively participating in the recent parliament and assembly elections for his father’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, which was founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 and split by Ajit in 2022. Ajit’s wife Sunetra contested the Lok Sabha election, lost to Supriya and despite the defeat, was sent to the Rajya Sabha by Ajit’s party. While Ajit’s elder son Parth is active in politics, Jay is away from it and is seen only occasionally on public platforms. Ajit’s appearance at a couple of family functions where Sharad Pawar was present had led to predictions that both were coming closer but nothing has transpired thereafter. With Jay’s obeisance to grandfather, the media once again is having a field day.
Oppressor emperor Aurangzeb continues to haunt Maharashtra politics. Even as a storm is raging about his bloody reign owing to the praise heaped upon him by Samajwadi party MLA Abu Azmi, a demand to demolish his tomb near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in the state has started making ripples. The demand has been made by BJP MP Udayan Raje Bhosale, a direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was livid because of Azmi’s statements. Already, sentiments against Aurangzeb have been inflamed after the release of Chhaava, a blockbuster movie. Bhosale’s demand is another angry reaction but is important due to his lineage. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that though Bhosale has articulated everyone’s feelings, the government needs to proceed according to law. Moreover, the tomb has been declared as a protected monument by the ASI during the previous Congress rule, he has pointed out. Aurangzeb died on 3 March 1707 at Bhingar near Ahilya Nagar in north Maharashtra. Respecting his last wishes, he was cremated at Khuldabad in Marathwada near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. While Rs.6.5 lakh has been expended for the tomb over the past 13 years, an insignificant amount has been spent for a memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, according to Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’s Sunil Ghanwat. The Congress party has adopted a cautious stand. Its leader Vijay Wadettiwar has felt that the government should take a proper decision in this regard. However, it is wrong to create a rift in society over a religious matter, he has warned.
Another twist has been added to the present political suspense in Maharashtra by none other than chief minister Devendra Fadanvis. Reiterating that politics can take any turn, he told an interviewer that his relations with his bete noir Sharad Pawar or Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray were never sour. At the same time, he has discounted the possibility of teaming up with either of them “in view of the present political atmosphere.” Fadnavis said that had Uddhav accepted his telephone call then (in 2019), no rift between his Sena and the BJP would have occurred. Despite this, now both talk with each other, Fadnavis clarified. His assertion is considered meaningful as there are persistent media reports that the BJP is determined to rein in both deputy CMs, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. Cancellation of certain appointments made by Shinde and scrapping of some tenders finalised in the past have led to the discussion that Fadnavis is determined to root out corruption. Against this backdrop, Fadnavis said his mission was to bring about a transformation, not take revenge against anyone. The developments over the past five years have taught him that any type of political alliance is possible, he retorted, without blaming Sharad Pawar or Uddhav directly. In Maharashtra politics, political opponents were treated as enemies earlier but he had made it clear as soon as he took over as CM that his goal was development and not settling political scores.
Samajwadi party’s suspended MLA Abu Azmi has refused to apologise for his controversial statement praising Moghul emperor Aurangzeb, who tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to death. While passions are extremely agitated against Azmi’s statement, he has told Marathi TV channel ABP Majha that he stands by his praise of Aurangzeb. In the interview, Azmi has levelled many charges against those who spoke against him while supporting a unanimous motion by the state legislative assembly to suspend him for the remaining duration of the current budget session. Some of the critics described Azmi as a ‘B Team’ of the BJP since the clamour for his suspension caused the issue of resignation of minister Dhananjay Munde to be pushed to the backburner. Azmi hit back by saying that only such matters which benefit the BJP are raised. “You will not know when those making such charges will go with the BJP,” he retorted. Azmi’s kudos of the oppressor Aurangzeb have had repercussions in Uttar Pradesh legislature, too. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while denouncing Azmi, roared, “Send him to UP, we will take care of him.” After his suspension from the assembly, the state government has decided to file a criminal case against him for his utterances. The all-party outpouring against Azmi has caused unprecedented unanimity between the ruling NDA government and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. Nonetheless, Azmi is adamant about his stand. “I have not apologized for my statement, I have merely said that I shall withdraw it in case it has hurt anyone’s sentiments,” he maintained.
What connection can there be between Mercedes/Rolls Royce cars and Maharashtra politics? Apparently, none, but the two car brands have been making headlines in Maharashtra. State legislative council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe created sensation when she alleged in Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in New Delhi last month that a powerful post could be obtained in Shiv Sena (UBT) if its chief Uddhav Thackeray is presented with two Mercedes cars. There were denials, counter-allegations and defamation cases filed. Later, she clarified that her statement was based on ‘observation’ and not on ‘experience.’ Even before the dust had settled, the Chhaava movie’s fallout occurred in the form of an alleged phone call by former Nagpur journalist Prashant Koratkar to Kolhapur-based historian Indrajit Sawant for latter’s certain observations in regard to the demise of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj due to torture by Aurangzeb. Koratkar has denied that he ever made such a call. Supposedly close to the saffron camp, Koratkar is now being searched for possessing a Rolls Royce car (WB-02 AB0123). But more surprising is the information that the car was owned by chit fund criminal Mahesh Motewar. While Koratkar is still to be traced by the police, Motewar is cooling his heels in prison. The car was blocked by the CBI after his arrest. How Koratkar came to possess it, is another angle for the investigators. Once that mystery is unravelled, another chapter will be opened.
Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhavaa, on the life and tragic death of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, continues to make waves since its release in February. It’s a box office hit grossing over Rs 400 crore. This biopic has created a storm in Maharashtra over the role of certain individuals close to Sambhaji Maharaj and their involvement in his death by torture at the hands of Aurangazeb. One of the key figures in the debate is Kolhapur-based historian Indrajit Sawant. A statement by Sawant reportedly enraged certain sections in the state. The consequence is that Sawant received a death threat call and he filed a police complaint. The police in turn have embarked on a massive search operation to trace former journalist Prashant Koratkar of Nagpur since he has been named as the caller by Sawant. After publicly denying that he was not the person who had threatened the historian, Koratkar has disappeared. The Maharashtra police have extended the search into neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. His disappearance has raised several questions, including about the police efficiency. If Koratkar has been impersonated as he claims, why is he absconding? Similarly, although the police had been alerted about his alleged connection with the call, why was he allowed to run away, it is queried. The police only respond that different teams are tracing Koratkar.
The verbal war between the two Shiv Sena factions – Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray — is once again on with the prospects of the local body elections in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition in the matter next week, again kindling the hopes that it will show a green signal for holding the civic elections, overdue for more than two years. As the exodus out of the Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray continues towards the faction under deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, the prospect of the election has prompted many hopefuls to change colour. Taking note of the damaging potential of such an eventuality, Uddhav has launched a scathing attack against his opponents. “Those taking a dip in the Ganga at Maha Kumbh are not going to be exonerated of their sin of taking tons of money,” he told his party workers on the occasion of the Marathi Divas. Hitting back, Shinde has challenged Uddhav to explain why he or Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not visit the Kumbh if they claim that they are Hindus, too. The sudden tilt by Uddhav towards Hindutva is seen as a strategy to win back the vote bank, once a monopoly of the undivided Sena. Interestingly, the Congress and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar have maintained a stoic silence over the Maha Kumbh debate, isolating Uddhav in a way. The political churning in the state will become fierce after the Apex Court verdict is handed down.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar’s intimate dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in New Delhi a couple of days ago has once again miffed the principal players in Maharashtra politics. Although their cosy relationship is well-known, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have been finding it difficult to decipher the hidden message, if any, behind the conversation between the two giants. Obviously rattled by the development, Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut has wondered how Modi could sit beside a leader whom the PM had described as ‘a wandering spirit’ during the state assembly electioneering in November last. The Congress has preferred to maintain silence as its state leaders are aware of Pawar’s connection with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge and hence don’t wish to invite the ire of the high command by rubbing Pawar the wrong way. But Pawar’s detractors allege that Modi is appeasing Pawar since his NCP has eight Lok Sabha members and the ruling BJP at the Centre needs as much support as possible on the floor of the house. Pawar’s daughter and party MP Supirya Sule has defended the meeting, saying that both leaders are political masters and know what they are doing. Of late, Pawar has been pursuing his own policies, not caring about the possible fallout from the Congress or the Sena (UBT), the two Maha Vikas Aghadi partners. The Pawar-Modi dialogue has once again kicked off a guessing game.
India’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s clarion call to launch a drive to throw out illegal immigrants from India is interpreted as a shot in the arm for the government to intensify its on-going operation to weed out such individuals and deport them. He declared his stand while delivering the 65th convocation ceremony address of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Dhankhar pointed out that several nations had undertaken such an action and wondered when India would take similar steps. He lamented that crores of such unauthorised immigrants were living in India, depriving local people of the employment opportunities. Dhankhar observed that while nationalism was the real religion, certain powers had been operating against it. Dhankhar’s comments assume significance against the backdrop of certain statements emanating from the U.S., suggesting that efforts had been made to influence the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Though the VP did not elaborate on this theme further, the message was loud and clear. In a manner of speaking, it is seen as an endorsement of the present sweeps by the police in different parts of the country to identify and send back the illegal immigrants. The issue has become a political matter since some parties and organisations are arguing that it will be inhuman to uproot those living in this country for a number of years. The issue is quite grave in Mumbai and Maharashtra. Hence Dhankhar’s call is expected to boost the Maharashtra government’s determination to act against the illegal intruders entering the state.
The moment Shiv Sena (UBT) dismissed its spokesman Kishore Tiwari from the responsibility, he launched a tirade against the manner in which the party is being run. While going soft on leader Uddhav Thackeray, he has held some top leaders responsible for the Sena’s debacle. The Sena is receiving one jolt after another almost daily due to desertions by its loyal workers and Tiwari’s unbridled outburst is bound to make its challenge graver for the coming local body elections. While Uddhav has tried to inject vigour into the rank and file by declaring his resolve to administer one mega blow to the ruling saffron alliance, Tiwari’s disclosures will force the party to defend its decisions, especially of distributing tickets for the 2024 assembly election. Tiwari has alleged that many of the tickets were ‘sold’ and certain party leaders had amassed a fortune. His main target is party MP Sanjay Raut, whose continuous controversial statements Tiwari has found very objectionable and damaging. Tiwari has criticized other leaders like Subhash Desai, Vinayak Raut and Milind Narvekar, who are closest to Uddhav. He told a news channel that he has revealed just one percent and will expose more and more misdeeds of the party and its leaders. Tiwari has been the Sena protagonist on various Marathi and national news channels. He has vowed to continue to work for the Sena ‘until I am expelled from the party.’
Controversial Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde has been down with Bell’s Palsy, which has incapacitated him. But the clamour for his resignation is not likely to subside. Munde has been the bone of contention within the ruling NDA regime due to the several serious allegations levelled against him. Some of his closest aides are behind bars and even his own future is bleak. A staunch supporter of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the nephew of late Gopinath Munde, he has emerged as a formidable OBC leader in the state. Therefore, demands for his removal from the cabinet have been ignored by Pawar. However, the series of exposures with Munde’s alleged connection have landed the Fadnavis government into a tight situation. Munde’s ironclad hold over his home district, Beed, is said to have culminated into various scams and acts of violence. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has declared that Pawar will take a decision about Munde, whose illness has complicated the situation. Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face. The weakness makes half of the face appear to droop. It can occur at any age though the exact cause for its occurrence is not known. Munde’s absence from the cabinet meetings and from public events had started rumours that he had resigned or had been asked to quit. He himself has so far stoutly denied any such decision. His affliction has temporarily stopped his critics but many of them have declared to continue the campaign against Munde by wishing him a speedy recovery.
There is no dearth of one sensational turn after another in Maharashtra politics over the past three months. Ever since the state assembly election results came out in November, the polity has been in upheaval. The latest such development is firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s obeisance to RSS top leader Bhayyaji Joshi. Of and on attacking the Sangh Parivar, Bhujbal had nurtured his image as a secular follower of NCP founder Sharad Pawar. Many observers recalled how Bhujbal was the first to split the Shiv Sena in 1991 when Balasaheb Thackeray was at the height of his popularity. The issue was Thackeray’s refusal to accept the Mandal Commission report. Again, it was Bhujbal who was among the top disciples of Pawar to join the newly-floated NCP in 1999. He rose to become Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister. The recent vertical split in the NCP found Bhujbal joining the faction led by Ajit Pawar and many of his closest workers were astounded. In a recent surprising turn, Bhujbal was not accommodated in the cabinet formed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He had publicly lamented that Fadnavis wished to make him a minister but Ajit had stalled the move. Owing to such happenings, there is a whispering campaign to suggest that Bhujbal is on his way to join the BJP. He himself has never discounted this possibility. On top of this, Bhujbal’s unreserved praise of Bhayyaji at a Ram temple in Niphad in Nasik district a couple of days ago has once again heightened suspense about his next move.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit has given indications that the organisation can change its course. At a party meet in Mumbai, Amit has dismissed his father’s claim that EVMs were responsible for his party’s defeat in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections. Raj had only recently doubted the election results by alleging that EVMs were manipulated to engineer the BJP’s victory. In a bold departure, Amit has told the party leaders that it will be futile to blame the EVMs and that a thorough introspective has been called for. Amit’s candid admission has assumed significance against the backdrop of local body elections, including in Mumbai, lurking on the horizon. Amit reportedly said in that meeting that notwithstanding his father’s observation about the EVMs, he was of the opinion that there were other reasons for the sorry performance. Amit had lost the assembly election from Dadar-Mahim constituency, the Shiv Sena’s birthplace in 1966. Amit’s outspoken stand and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis calling on Raj Thackeray just before the MNS meet are hardly a pleasant coincidence. Moreover, certain BJP leaders announcing that the party could go alone in the Mumbai civic election have been considered as a warning for the Sena led by deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. An additional factor is the nervousness pervading the Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray amidst reports that many of its prominent leaders are on way out.
The Congress party is taking steps to bring back its house in order in Maharashtra, the second largest state, electorally. However, the initial signals in response to Rahul Gandhi’s decision to appoint Vidarbha’s Maratha leader Harshwardhan Sapkal as MPCC president are not very heart warming. The party was in search of a leader to occupy the post after incumbent Nana Patole had resigned in the wake of the assembly election debacle. Sapkal’s appointment has been frowned upon by senior party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who was hopeful of occupying the post. A staunch OBC proponent, Wadettiwar was earlier in hot water for publicly praising chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Congress party’s zero performance in the Delhi assembly election for a successive third time has spread a pall of gloom for its workers. Top leaders like Prithviraj Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat have gone into political retirement and have refused to head the state unit. Younger leaders like Vishwajit Kadam and Satej Patil, too, have declined the offer. On top of that, a nondescript worker like Harshwardhan Sapkal has been appointed to steer it. Sapkal’s only known qualification to be elevated to the post is his close contacts with Meenakshi Natarajan, an inner circle member around Rahul. His first test will be the coming local body elections. His loyalty is not questionable but his ability. Many feel that Rahul should have consulted at least some state leaders before taking this step.
In Maharashtra, the three-party Opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will have to draw its roadmap afresh since tension is growing within the anti-BJP combine, whose only game plan is to oppose the ruling Mahayuti saffron alliance. But the picture for MVA is not too bright since the NCP led by Sharad Pawar does not have much space in the state politics although it performed well in the last Lok Sabha election. The state NCP president Jayant Patil has been holding the reins for the past decade but has been retained despite vociferous demands from the rank and file for his replacement. Pawar’s recent feelers to the NDA have not gone down well for MVA. On the other hand, the Sena led by Uddhav has been losing its leading lights with frightening regularity. Still, Uddhav is not seen ready to change his style of functioning. Continuous reports about his Lok Sabha MPs deserting the party have created grave apprehensions within the organization. The third MVA partner, the Congress has appointed a new state president by choosing the relatively unknown Harshwardhan Sapkal, a Maratha leader from Vidarbha. But there is no enthusiasm seen in the organization. In short, the Opposition in Maharashtra is in a disarray and will have to mend its house soon to mount an effective challenge to the ruling dispensation. Not surprisingly, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray’s decision to meet Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal but not Sharad Pawar has generated fresh speculation about the future of MVA.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has described the BJP’s spectacular victory in Delhi assembly election as one more example of Ek hai toh Safe hai. Welcoming the verdict, Fadnavis recalled how Maharashtra voters had supported the NDA in the recent assembly election, scripting the first instance of Ek hai toh safe hai after BJP’s poor show in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Fadnavis explained how the BJP had lost the Dhule Lok Sabha seat since it had hardly received any votes in the Malegaon assembly segment in which Muslims are in majority. In all the five other segments, the BJP was leading but had to accept defeat due to the substantial anti-BJP voting in Malegaon alone. He termed it as the ‘Love Jihad’ effect and said a dozen Lok Sabha seats were lost by the NDA due to the same reason. Fadnavis said that for the assembly election, PM Narendra Modi toured Maharashtra and spread the message of Ek hai toh safe hai and the impact was magical. After Maharashtra, the message has shown its power in Delhi, he observed. Fadnavis had campaigned in the national capital assembly election, too. He had held several meetings in the Marathi-speaking population of Delhi and mobilised their support. The CM has ridiculed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for alleging that a sudden spurt in the registration of new voters was noticed in Maharashtra just before assembly polls. He advised Rahul to introspect and learn to accept the popular mandate.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has hit out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and held him responsible for his party’s resounding defeat in Delhi assembly election while analysing the pro-BJP outcome in the national capital. Anna said about his one-time ardent disciple that Kejriwal was influenced by power and money so much that he was not ready to listen to alarm signals voiced time and again against his style of functioning. Anna’s recent video clip, released on the eve of the election, had told Kejriwal in no uncertain terms to mend his ways. The message was mostly ignored by the media though shortpost.in had uploaded a news item about it just before the polling. Reiterating his stand, Anna said after the results were declared, “Ideology and actions should be pure in public life. An individual should not carry any stigma so that the electors develop confidence in that leader. I repeatedly conveyed this message to AAP but it was ignored.” An exasperated Anna had asked the voters not to support AAP in this clip. In fact, there are many in Maharashtra who feel smug, ridiculing Anna and supporting Kejriwal. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged Anna’s stand while addressing a BJP victory rally in party headquarters in Delhi. Modi also focused on AAP’s corruption by pointing out that all its top leaders had been in custody. Modi said Anna’s anti-graft crusade had catapulted Kejriwal to become the Delhi CM and expressed happiness that Anna’s stand had been endorsed by the people of Delhi. “Finally, Anna has been liberated from the AAP shroud,” the PM said to a huge applause.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s spree of making audacious allegations one after another is reaching new heights now, with his latest shocking claim. According to Raut, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is not shifting to the CM’s official residence ‘Varsha’ since during previous CM Eknath Shinde’s tenure, a he-buffalo’s horns had been interred in the premises of the bungalow. The horns were that of an animal sacrificed at Guwahati’s famous Kamakhya temple, Raut had said, adding that the ritual was performed to ensure that no Shinde successor should continue in CM office for long. Fadnavis has ridiculed the slur. He has clarified that he would continue at ‘Sagar’ bungalow as his only daughter’s 10th standard examination is due soon and that she has requested him to stay there till it is over. The family will shift afterwards, he has clarified. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has lambasted Raut for the insinuation, telling him that it was none of the MP’s business to ask such a question. Raut had also asserted that Fadnavis was not shifting to Varsha for fear of such a black magic. Raut’s reference to Kamakhya temple relates to the Shiv Sena’s split and a majority of Sena MLAs aligning with Shinde at Guwahati, where they went for a pooja at the temple. Raut is in the news for making a claim in the Rajya Sabha about the number of casualties at the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s repeated clarifications that he is not unhappy in the cabinet headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have failed to stop the surge of speculations about his next move. The reason for such discussions is Shinde’s frequent absence from important state meetings. As a result, Shinde continues to generate suspense for the ruling coalition. The discussions revived after Shinde skipped a “war room” meeting held by Fadnavis to discuss some important schemes and projects. These included the departments like health, housing and water supply and sanitation under Sena ministers. Though Shinde failed to turn up, another deputy CM Ajit Pawar was present for the marathon meeting. Shinde had also cancelled some other official engagements and a cabinet meeting last week. Fadnavis has time and again tried to explain that there was no complication for his dispensation and that Shinde was working wholeheartedly with him. Shinde also has reiterated that he is not unhappy. “When I was the chief minister, Fadnavis worked under me. Now that he is the CM, I am working under him. For both of us, the interests of Maharashtra are paramount,” Shinde told the media. Despite this, certain signals from the BJP side are interpreted to be making Shinde uncomfortable. His supporters recall how he consented to join the Fadnavis cabinet at the eleventh hour, keeping the Mahayuti on tenterhooks. BJP strategists feel that Shinde will yield at a proper time.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has invited ire of the ruling saffron alliance in the state due to his controversial claim that the votes his party had received in the recent assembly election had ‘vanished’ somewhere. Addressing his first public rally after the election, Raj also attacked the NCP led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar as well as the BJP in general. This is one more example of his ambivalence since Raj has time and again either praised PM Narendra Modi or criticized him, never taking a firm stand. Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar has castigated his old friend Raj for the offensive remark, telling him that the BJP has never indulged into politics of adjustments. On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant has congratulated Raj ‘for speaking out the truth.’ But the most pointed barb against Raj has been fired by NCP(Ajit) leader Anand Paranjpe. “MNS contested 138 assembly seats and secured only 1.55% votes without a single win,” he has taunted Raj. The NCP is chagrined since Raj has raised doubts about its winning 41 seats. This free for all will impact the local body elections, likely to be held later this year. Raj has been advised to study the situation seriously and introspect about the defeat of his own son in the Dadar-Mahim constituency in which his family resides.
The Congress party in Maharashtra is in most pitiable condition. It has neither leadership nor focus or has any agenda. Its senior leaders like former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan or Balasaheb Thorat were trounced in the recent assembly election and hence have no voice. State Congress leader Nana Patole is a former BJP MP while leader of the Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, has travelled from the Shiv Sena when it was unified. A staunch follower of then chief minister Narayan Rane, he has continued in the Congress but none is certain about his enduring loyalty, given his friendship with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The party has had no major victories in western Maharashtra or Marathwada regions. As a result, the organisation is demoralised. For a change, Patole has warned of a state wide agitation against the proposed fare increase by the state transport corporation, the largest public transport undertaking in Asia. However, even Congress workers are unsure if the protest will really take off. They remember how Patole had announced a mass agitation against the state government’s decision to hand over Mahananda, the state dairy behemoth, to Amul via the National Dairy Development Board and how not a whimper was heard later. Over the past two years, the Congress in Maharashtra has shown any signs of life only when party leader Rahul Gandhi has visited. Its headquarters, Tilak Bhavan, in Dadar is an abandoned mansion now. The workers are awaiting the arrival of a saviour to rejuvenate the party.
The attempt to push the ruling into a corner by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi and the saffron alliance’s retaliation is now dominating Maharashtra politics. The Modi government at the Centre has caught the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray in a cleft stick by conferring the prestigious Padma Bhushan title on the late Manohar Joshi, who was a Lok Sabha speaker and the state chief minister. Although Joshi occupied such high posts, he was constantly humiliated by the supporters of Uddhav during his twilight years. The NDA government has thus created a quaint situation for Uddhav since he can’t either welcome the decision to decorate Joshi nor oppose it. Taking advantage of the situation, the Sena and the Congress have started a discussion of having a third deputy chief minister in Maharashtra. Although there is no basis for such a possibility since the state already has two deputy CMs, it is becoming embarrassing for the Mahayuti to discount the rumours since it could mean an indirect reflection on two of its leaders, Girish Mahajan of the BJP and Uday Samant of the Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde. but it is generally felt that this is only an attempt to spread disinformation. The political game has gained significance as Sena MP Sanjay Raut has emphatically claimed that Samant has 20 party MLAs behind him. On the other hand, Samant has reiterated his total commitment to Shinde’s leadership. The Opposition has been planning to spread such confusing information to further deepen discontent in the Mahayuti quarters, it is felt.
Social crusader Anna Hazare has released a video clip on the eve of the Delhi assembly election, obliquely criticising AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal by asking the voters to support that party and leader, who believe in public service and sacrifice. Anna had been instrumental in dislodging the UPA government in 2014 by launching an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Among his staunchest workers was Kejriwal, who later became the focus of the anti-Congress politics in the national capital. However, Anna had frowned at this development since it was his stand that his followers should keep themselves away from active politics and especially from power games. This position was reversed by Kejriwal in no time and after that, the two have hardly spoken to each other. In the video, which has been mostly ignored by major political parties, Anna has asked the voters to elect only such people who are having a clean character and who wish to work for the people without expecting anything in return. There is a pointed reference to alcohol consumption since Anna says, “One should not take a stand that I drink and help others to drink too.” This is considered quite vocal since Kejriwal is facing several serious charges concerning the liquor license distribution in Delhi. Anna’s decision to break his long silence just before the Delhi election, scheduled for 5 February, has raised eyebrows since Anna himself has faced charges that he was a stooge of certain forces. Anna has never responded to such criticism and has closeted himself in his village in Ahilya Nagar district in north Maharashtra. In the last many years, no political leader has called on him.
A crucial meeting between RSS functionaries and BJP members of the Maharashtra cabinet in Mumbai will go a long way in charting the future path to be adopted by the state government led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The two-day conference was attended by Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, who is also the revenue minister. The ministers were told in no uncertain terms that their priority will be to serve the public and to maintain a clean image. Moreover, special arrangements should be in place to cater to the work connected with various individuals and organizations under the Sangh Parivar umbrella. The NDA’s unprecedented success in the state assembly election held recently is mainly attributed to the ground work done by RSS activists all over Maharashtra, especially to mobilise pro-Hindutva vote. Although the RSS has not taken any credit for this spectacular feat publicly, those working for the BJP candidly acknowledge the saffron organisation’s debt. A tentative agenda for the way ahead has been prepared for the ministers and discussed with them by top RSS representatives. Subsequently, it will be finalized as its importance will impact the local body elections, likely to be held in the near future. Like the assembly election, the BJP will dominate the candidate lists for the local bodies, too, it is expected. Accordingly, the two partners, the Shiv Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde and the NCP under deputy Ajit Pawar, will have to be accommodated in the Mahayuti formula for the ensuring electoral bout, it is suggested.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar has come under fire from firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has lashed at the party’s ‘monopolistic’ style of functioning. Bhujbal’s outburst at the NCP’s Shirdi conclave and his distancing from Pawar by not even greeting him has sent warning signals within the party as the OBC proponent is among the senior most colleagues of Ajit. When veteran Sharad Pawar was attacked prior to the split in the NCP, it was Bhujbal who took up cudgels on behalf of Ajit and alleged that the latter was always sidelined. During the recent assembly election, Bhujbal’s importance was underscored following his spirited pro-OBC statements since it became evident that the OBCs had wholeheartedly voted for the NDA of which NCP(A) is a constituent. However, the picture suddenly changed when Bhujbal was not inducted in the government led by Devendra Fadnavis. The discord grew when Bhujbal maintained that Fadnavis wanted him in the cabinet but the NCP decided otherwise. So far, Ajit Pawar has not reacted at all to Bhujbal’s grievance even once. Hence, Bhujbal’s complaint that there was no collective decision making in the NCP is interpreted as a cautionary sign. NCP top leader Praful Patel has tried to quell it by announcing that internal talks will be held to exactly understand the issue. But this relief has not satisfied Bhujbal, who has declared that he will decide his course of action soon.
The rift in the powerful Pawar family appears to be widening despite persistent speculation that patriarch Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew Ajit Pawar are likely to patch up eventually. Pawar’s recent kudos showered on the RSS cadres and his restrained reaction to various political developments have proved intriguing for his followers and detractors alike. On the other hand, Ajit’s frequent absence from important events in the state and especially at a function graced by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have added grist to the rumour mill. Against this backdrop, the body language of Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule at a Pune dais with Ajit present alongside is considered quite vocal. Not a single word was exchanged between them during an agro exhibition at Baramati. The main event and the lunch thereafter were touted as possible venues for a handshake, which did not take place. The organisers had placed the chairs of Pawar and Ajit apart, perhaps to avert any discomfiture for either. Ajit and his wife Sunetra, Rajya Sabha member, were felicitated by Supriya but there was no verbal exchange. She rued the refusal by Ajit to talk to her. Supriya said that she continued to be in touch with Sunetra, as well as with their two sons. Supriya’s earlier grievance that Devendra Fadnavis would take her calls but not Ajit Pawar is recalled in this connection.
The increasing influx of suspected Bangladeshis in Mumbai and certain parts of the state is causing grave concern. The Maharashtra police have intensified their efforts to identify and round up such infiltrators. However, existing procedure to deal with such infiltrators is such that the accused take benefit of the system and roam freely in India. Last year, over 300 Bangladeshis were arrested in Mumbai alone while more than 900 have been caught over the past three years. Sadly, just 220 of them could be deported due to the legal framework. Almost all of them were holding passports and Aadhar cards or ration cards. A few of them reportedly could vote for the recent Lok Sabha election as well. The Anti Terrorists Squad of the police has now accelerated the drive to weed out such illegally staying Bangladeshis. According to investigators, when such migrants are produced in court, they are able to secure temporary relief on technical grounds. Once protected by court orders, they indulge in various activities. A majority of them are said to be construction workers or plumbers. The ATS has now started writing to banks to freeze their accounts. Similarly, various state authorities like the transport and rationing departments are asked to cancel their driving licenses or ration cards. It has transpired that there is a systematic chain which manages different formalities so that the migrants can obtain official seal. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has termed this development as a Vote Jihad and asked the police to crack down ruthlessly.
Top Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has extended good wishes to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by obliquely suggesting him “to succeed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” He, moreover, said Fadnavis has the ability, performance and courage. The veiled feeler has come at a moment when the Congress party in the state is almost leaderless. Wadettiwar is a former disciple of the then Shiv Sena’s and later BJP’s leader Narayan Rane. He followed Rane in the Congress party from the Sena and stayed on even after his mentor had followed the BJP. Wadettiwar is known for his antagonism towards state Congress president Nana Patole, a former BJP MP. Wadettiwar’s proposition was expressed at an anniversary function to remember the state’s second CM Marotrao Kannamwar at his birthplace, Chandrapur. In his acerbic speech, Wadettiwar did not feel shy of attacking Patole and Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut for the drubbing the Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered in the assembly election. Wadettiwar expressed suspicion that MVA was deliberately kept unprepared for the hustings and blamed Patole and Raut for the delay and the defeat. Fadnavis did not react to Wadettiwar’s encomium while lauding the contribution of Kannamwar. The absence of former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar from the function in his hometown and Wadettiwar’s frank praise for Fadanvis are seen as suggestive of the shape of the things to come since the two leaders have been political competitors for a long time.
The three-party Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) appears to be heading towards yet another upheaval. The reason is said to be veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s displeasure with the Congress and the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray because both the partners have shown little interest in working together against the NDA government led by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis. Even as the INDIA bloc is still to recover from the shock administered by Uddhav with his announcement of backing the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi assembly elections, Pawar’s discontent is finding whispers among his followers. The Congress party is still to react to Uddhav’s stance but several prominent workers from all three parties have started speaking against the two other partners. The reason is that not a single serious post-election meeting of MVA has taken place after the assembly debacle to discuss the fallout. Secondly, there is no concerted action plan against the Fadnavis government. On the other hand, there are reports that some NDA leaders have approached at least half a dozen MPs from Sharad Pawar’s NCP to join the saffron alliance. Overall, the already weak Opposition in Maharashtra is appearing shaky and doddering more and more. Untimely utterances by old timers like Prithviraj Chavan have only added to the bitterness. Pawar’s anger will prove very costly electorally for MVA since local body elections across the state are likely to take place any moment. Hence, Pawar’s next move is awaited by the opposition and the ruling side equally eagerly
Shirdi Sai Baba temple in north Maharashtra is a major pilgrimage centre for numerous devotees in India but it, too, is not impervious to political give and takes. The Shirdi temple administration’s practice of distributing free food to over 50,000 people daily has been criticised by former BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil. He has demanded immediate stoppage to this daily occurrence by the administration, which works under a board of trustees appointed by the state government. The food distribution has been going on for a long time. Hence, Vikhe’s timing to raise the demand has perplexed many. Vikhe has said that free food attracts a large number of beggars, many of them from around the country. The expenditure for the food distribution is met from the donations of the devotees. “Stop this practice and spend the money for sculpting the future of children, on their education,” he has asked the board. Warning of an agitation if this is not stopped forthwith, Vikhe has lamented the dismal level of academic standard imparted at an educational complex developed in Shirdi by the administration at a huge expenditure. Vikhe has also demanded concessional rates for meals served to the devotees. His views on the free food have been resented by Akshay Maharaj Bhosale, a leader of the Shiv Sena’s Dharmaveer Adhyatmic wing. The devotees thronging the temple should not be termed beggars, he has quipped. He has advised Vikhe to contact deputy CM Eknath Shinde in case the scion of one of most powerful families in the state has any problem with the Shirdi tradition.
Embattled minister Dhananjay Munde has generated a political logjam in Maharashtra as even while facing fresh verbal attacks day in and day out, he is refusing to resign. Munde, a confidant of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, belongs to Vanjari community, a prominent OBC section. The NCP led by Pawar is already in the dock owing to the deputy CM’s silence over the entire sordid Beed chain of events as well as his refusal to sack Munde from the Mahayuti government. In fact, symptoms of friction between the BJP and the NCP (Ajit) over the Beed lawlessness events have started coming out in the open. The reason is some reckless statements made by BJP’s MLA Suresh Dhas, elected from Ashti in Beed district. A seasoned political figure, Dhas is a Maratha, who has been talking openly against Munde and his cousin Pankaja, both cabinet ministers in the state. In one of his speeches, Dhas attacked Pawar and the home department, held by CM Devendra Fadnavis for not removing Munde. While there is silence in the BJP camp over the utterances, Ajit’s party spokesman Sooraj Chavan has warned Dhas that such outbursts can create complications for the alliance.. “Attempts to defame Ajit Dada will be met with retaliation,” he has warned, while urging Fadnavis to rein in the MLA. The atmosphere is becoming murky since both deputy CMs, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, are avoiding making any statement over the ongoing Beed developments.
Senior BJP leader Ravindra Chavan’s anointment as the next possible Maharashtra BJP president has sent warning signals for the supporters of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, once again indicating internecine power play within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Chavan’s name has been announced as the state in-charge by outgoing president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The reshuffle was expected ever since Chavan was not included in the cabinet while Bawankule was asked to contest the assembly election which he has won. Chavan was a minister in the previous Shinde government, holding the public works department, considered a prominent position in the state hierarchy. The tussle between Shinde and Chavan is based in Thane district from which both have been getting elected time and again. In the recent assembly election, the BJP bagged nine seats while Shinde’s Shiv Sena won six. Chavan’s contribution in this handsome victory was lauded by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by visiting Thane for a party function. This gesture has made Shinde’s supporters jittery since local body elections are expected to be held in the near future. Thane has always remained a matter of tension between the Sena and the BJP, from the days of Balasaheb Thackeray. So far, Shinde has prevailed but the assembly results have changed the picture. Chavan was elected to the assembly for the first time in 2009. Under his tutelage, the BJP has been performing well in the district. A formal announcement about Chavan’s appointment as state BJP chief is expected soon.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MLA Uttam Jankar has made a sensational allegation regarding the recent assembly election results in Maharashtra. After calling on Pawar in Baramati on Sunday, Jankar said the Mahayuti alliance had won just 107 seats in the 288-member house though the official results have placed the number at 237. Jankar had shot to fame recently when he had announced a ballot paper voting in Markadwadi village in his Malshiras assembly constituency in Solapur district. The move was abandoned after it was disallowed by the authorities, deploying massive police bandobast. Undeterred, Jankar has reiterated his suspicion of the EVMs and has warned that he will take up the issue with the EC, Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The objections against the EVMs have been repeatedly rejected by the EC and the Supreme Court. Pawar himself and his daughter Supriya Sule, MP, have desisted from making any adverse observations about the election process. Still, certain INDIA bloc leaders persist in raking up the issue. Jankar has created sensation by charging that rival NCP’s leader Ajit Pawar had lost the election from the prestigious Baramati constituency in actuality but was declared elected by the EC by a thumping margin. Jankar said the results in nearly 150 constituencies were open to such suspicions. He demanded that the VVPAT slips should be given to the voter for dropping into the ballot box and should not drop automatically.
Leaders and thinkers from Maharashtra describe the state as the cradle of progressivism and rationalism. But the current discomfiture attached to a palatial bungalow in south Mumbai and a cabin in Mantralaya are proving amusing for the pall of superstition they have spread. At the centre of the controversy is the historic ‘Ramtek’ bungalow in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill area. Ramtek has been tagged as ‘unlucky’ for its occupants. And history is quoted to bolster this claim. The first such victim was then deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, who lived in Ramtek between 1995 and 1999, never to return. Soon after becoming a Union minister in 2014, he died in a car accident in Delhi. If a bungalow is perceived to be unlucky, a mere cabin, too, is seen with apprehension. Though just a cabin in Mantralaya, Room 602 is viewed as jinxed. Presently used by a bunch of bureaucrats, ministers are reluctant to move into it. In this list, Chhagan Bhujbal is at the top since Room 602 was allocated to him in 1999. He was at the time the deputy CM and home minister. Residing in Ramtek, he became the focus of the multi-crore fake stamp paper Telgi Scam. After him, Ajit Pawar started using the cabin but he also had to step down after accusations regarding the irrigation scam started against him. He later returned as deputy CM but kept away from Room 602. The others to be hit are then BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who had to resign after being implicated in a land scam. The next occupant, BJP’s Pandurang Fundkar, died suddenly in 2018. The most recent occupant was then BJP minister Anil Bonde, who lost the assembly election in 2019. Who will occupy Ramtek and Room 602 is watched with considerable interest.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.