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Developers in Mumbai owe pending rental dues worth over Rs 646 crore to slum dwellers whose houses have been taken up for redevelopment under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. The pending rental dues had swelled upto Rs 1382.48 crore since 2022 of which the state helped recover Rs 735.67 crores till May, 2025. Defaulting on rents for slum dwellers of SRA projects has assumed such proportions that the government now insists developers deposit two years of rent in advance. The SRA also managed to get Rs 552 crore as advance rents from developers. In a bid to expedite stalled projects, the SRA has also served notices to 86 errant developers to facilitate their replacement and help these projects take off. About 1700 projects of SRA are currently ongoing in the city of Mumbai, out of which about 517 are stalled due to various reasons. In order to take such stalled projects off the ground, the Maharashtra government has also got government statutory bodies like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) and even the City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to intervene and get into the slum rehabilitation space. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also undertaking SRA in 64 of its own plots. Though the SRA was adjudged as the best performing department in the 100 days administrative reforms review by the Devendra Fadnavis government, activists are convinced that it continues to remain a developers’ domain.
There wasn’t much reaction in Telangana Congress when former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin’s son, Asaduddin, also a cricketer, recently parachuted in and landed as a General Secretary of the Telangana Congress. A senior leader and a former MP dismissed the appointment as a non-event and routine. After a stint in cricket, Asaduddin expressed his desire to serve the public through politics, drawing inspiration from his father and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Describing his new role as a “big responsibility”, Asaduddin said he was committed to working for the party in line with its ideology. He praised Rahul Gandhi for fighting for the Congress’s values despite facing numerous challenges He also credited his father, who has been active in politics for over 15 years, as a major influence. Azharuddin, a former Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, UP, contested and lost the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections from Jubilee Hills constituency. Asked why he quit cricket, Asaduddin remarked that a sports person’s career is short and timing plays a crucial role in success. Married to tennis star Sania Mirza’s sister, Anam Mirza, Asaduddin felt his time in cricket was over. In a post on X, Azharuddin wished his son and said he had seen his (Asaduddin) commitment to people, his passion for service, and his sincerity up close and hoped he would stay “grounded”. With his son’s debut in state politics, Azharuddin is now confident that he will once again be fielded for Jubilee Hills by-elections. He had lost the seat in 2023.
Having once been condemned by Sunil Gavaskar from the commentary box with a serial “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid” description, Rishabh Pant made the legend say “Superb,” three times in tribute to a century at Leeds. That was soon as he became the Indian wicket-keeper with most Test centuries (7) – not Dhoni (6), not Saha (3) nor any of the older greats. And he has kept this “all-rounder” status in his own unique way, rolling on his back not to collect stray wide balls from bowlers but to punt the ball over the ‘keeper’s head. And who else can conceptualise a virtual one-handed lofted shot to mid-wicket sailing beyond the ropes for a six to get to a century. After all, he is a batsman who opened his Test account with a six. Even Gavaskar, who has watched more cricket than many of the legends, may never have predicted such a fulfilling future for a plump youngster. And if he thanked God it may have been not only for the record-breaking century but also saving his life the night that he was involved in a car crash from which few gave him a good chance of survival. Maybe that is why Pant is determined not only to live every minute of a second chance at life but also enjoy it. Maybe, Pant has shown Sunil that despite all that madness that seizes him now and then while batting that he is perfectly capable of stringing together long Test innings. If there is one thing that has not left him may be a bit of spirited batting that in the eyes of critics may seem “Stupid.” Maybe, none will call him “stupid” again regardless of how adventurously he bats when the whim captures his mind.
Titagarh Rail Systems, one of India’s foremost manufacturers of rail wagons and coaches, is taking a strategic step to bolster its production capabilities through a new joint venture with Ramakrishna Forgings Ltd. The joint venture, named Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels Ltd, is setting up an advanced manufacturing facility in Gummidipoondi, located near Chennai. This state-of-the-art plant is designed to produce high-performance forged wheelsets, catering to the requirements of metros, freight wagons, and passenger railcars. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 220,000 wheels. As part of the venture, 80,000 of these wheels will be supplied to Indian Railways under a guaranteed offtake agreement, offering long-term business visibility. Each forged wheel is estimated to cost around Rs 1 lakh. The plant is expected to commence full-scale operations by Feb-Mar 2026.This initiative is crucial, especially after Titagarh faced a slowdown in wagon sales last fiscal due to a shortage of wheelsets from the Rail Wheel Factory. By building its own supply capability, the company aims to eliminate such supply chain disruptions in the future. With about 25% market share, Titagarh remains India’s largest freight wagon manufacturer, leveraging a vertically integrated model for operational resilience.
The name Prashant Tipirineni Nani may not stir recognition until you notice Nani. Oh yes, HIT: The Third Case or Hit 3 starring Nani in an electric turbo action role will immediately stir memories of that action thriller. Much talked about but given mixed reviews by critics. But redemption too…it is the third highest grosser Telugu film, collecting Rs 56 crore in 6 days of cinema run. The team of Nani, Srinidhi Shetty and Director Sailesh Kolanu were happy that HIT 3, third instalment in the series, had surpassed Nani’s earlier Hi Nanna, Saripodhaa Sanivaram and HIT 1 collection. But happiness and celebrations in this mercurial make-believe world of cinema is often short lived…ghosts from the past or ghosts who walk in due to bad Karma often wreck the party and the high of commercial success soon, nosedives. Allegations of story/plot plagiarism are hurled and more often than not, end up in court. Hit 3 has just been hit by allegations from Soniya Vimal (Vimalavalan) who has accused Nani of lifting most of her story, making a few changes here and there in the making of HIT 3. The writer is now demanding copyright compensation of 20% of the take. Vimal claims she had registered her story with the South Indian Film Writers Association in 2021, met with Nani and gave him an outline but got no response from the makers. After watching the first show, she could identify and record every spin of the story, her original. The only recourse was to go to the court. The Madras High Court has now posted the hearing for July 7.
For AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal winning MLAs in Gujarat by itself may not be a big deal; about half a dozen or so have won before. But none of the MLAs have stuck around. However, with AAP candidate Gopal Italia winning from Visavadar for the second time in a by-election, Kerjiwal has something to cheer about. In the backdrop of losing power in Delhi, AAP felt it had to make a song and dance about securing assembly seat in Gujarat by-election– where the BJP has been in power for 30 years –that too from a seat– Visavadar which the BJP has never won. In a post on X, Kejriwal bragged that his party won with nearly double the margin compared to the previous elections and claimed that “people of Punjab are very happy with the work of our government and have voted even more in favour of us than in 2022. The people of Gujarat are now fed up with the BJP and see hope in the AAP”. Italia shot to fame during the 2015 Patidar agitation in the state. The seat has been vacant since 2023 after the then AAP legislator Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the BJP. BJP sources said Italia winning the seat wasn’t a surprise. Visavadar has been a traditional Congress seat. “BJP has never won from there. In 2012, Keshubhai Patel won from there as Parivartan Party candidate. Kesubhai later rejoined the BJP. Sources say more than Visavadar what is of significance for Gujarat politics is that BJP managed to win Kadi assembly seat, a reserved seat in Mehsana. BJP’s Rajendra Chavda won by a margin of over 39,000 votes in a triangular contest taking on both the Congress and the AAP.
Aamir Khan, hailed as one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, has consistently pushed the boundaries of Indian cinema with his choice of diverse and thought-provoking roles. However, his latest film, Sitare Zameen Par, which garnered approximately Rs 10.70 crore on its opening day, raises critical questions about the viability of niche cinema in a commercial landscape dominated by mass appeal. While the film showcases Aamir’s commitment to storytelling that resonates with a more elite audience, its limited screen release and lack of mainstream entertainment elements have significantly hampered its box office potential. Unlike his contemporaries, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who frequently deliver mass-centric blockbusters, Aamir’s foray into niche narratives may alienate the average moviegoer. The film’s intellectual depth and artistic merit, although commendable, do not cater to the broader audience base that thrives on high-octane entertainment and relatable themes. The expectation for Aamir Khan films to cross the Rs 100-crore mark within the first three days has become a benchmark of success in Bollywood. However, Sitare Zameen Par weekend collections appear to be around Rs35-40 crore, a figure that many industry insiders deem disappointing for a film featuring such a prominent star. This trend raises concerns about the sustainability of niche cinema in a market that increasingly favours commercial viability over artistic expression. As the film fraternity navigates this evolving landscape, it is imperative for stars like Aamir Khan to strike a balance between artistic integrity and audience engagement. While niche films have their place in cinema, the current climate suggests that a more mass-oriented approach may be necessary to foster the growth of Indian cinema as a whole.
Shubman Gill has settled the No 4 position for himself in the New India batting order in Test cricket. The moment he was named the captain of the Test team for the five Test series in England, the grapevine was rife with pros and cons of his batting at No 4 with the MRF sticker bat. Just like his predecessors Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who batted at No 4 and the lithe right-hander from Punjab confirmed it after the fall of debutant Sai Sudharsan at the stroke of lunch on the first day of the Headingley Test. Gill batted with a lot of assurance and compiled an elegant 227-ball 147 with 19 hits to the pickets and one six on the onside. For 12 minutes short of six hours, Gill looked the master playing behind and beside the line against the England fast bowlers. It was Gill’s first time undertaking at No 4 and he and those who helped him take that call would be more than satisfied with his effort. Gill may have thrown away a chance to convert his knock into a double and much more had he not taken the chance against the off break bowler Shoaib Bashir and offered a high catch to Joshua Tongue in the deep. When the going was good, Gill could have really cashed it on, but his departure (430/4) triggered an India collapse to 471. The pitch aided the home team seamers who were also able to swing the ball, and Gill stood up to the task after Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a lovely hundred opening the innings after being put into bat. A great knock from Gill, but a rush of blood heave spelt his doom.
Maharashtra’s Mahayuti alliance achieved a thumping majority in the assembly election late last year. One important factor that ensured such a handsome mandate was the Mahayuti’s ‘Laadki Bahin’(Beloved Sister) scheme. Under this, each applicant woman was paid a monthly dole of Rs 1500. Though there were certain conditions for a beneficiary to be eligible, there was no scrutiny. As a result, even female government officials and those paying income tax also took advantage of the scheme. Some others came in their own cars to receive the cheques. Now, a thorough scrutiny is underway and thousands of names have been dropped, some of them voluntarily by the beneficiaries concerned themselves. Considering the local body elections due in the state after the monsoon, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has declared that a scheme called, “Laadki Soon” (Beloved Daughter in Law) will be launched by the government. There is a reason for the necessity of such a measure despite tall claims that Maharashtra is a progressive state. Time and again, harrowing stories of torture for dowry of newly wed girls surface in the media. In certain cases, the unfortunate girls are either killed or commit suicide. A few such instances that shook the state’s conscience over the past two months are believed to have caused Shinde’s announcement, which will be implemented soon. Incidentally, it was Shinde as the state CM who had introduced the Laadki Bahin Yojana last year.
In terms of absolute growth, the country’s mutual fund industry has grown at a scorching pace. Its AUM has grown from Rs 21 lakh crore in 2017 to Rs 72 lakh crore in 2025, monthly SIP from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 26,600 crore and investor’s count has grown five times — from 1 crore to 5 crore. Yet, the investor’s numbers is poor given the size of the population. This poor investor number indicates low awareness and thereby poor penetration level. Though the industry’s Sahi Hai campaign has transformed the space from a high-net-worth niche to a retail-driven engine, more needs to be done. At the 17th ICC Mutual Fund Summit, regulator SEBI has urged the industry to use digital tools for wider access. To help the MF industry, SEBI has undertaken a comprehensive review of the sector’s regulations to ease business operations and introduce flexible scheme design, and recategorize schemes. SEBI feels that innovation and strong governance must go hand in hand, and any missteps would invite regulatory action. Interestingly, AMFI has positioned financial well-being — not just access—as the next frontier. However, AMFI lamented the fact that even though 33% of household disposable income is saved, 66% goes into gold and real estate and only 34% into financial assets. And mutual funds form a small portion of this, though their share of bank deposit equivalents has risen from 10% to 32%. India’s AUM-to-GDP ratio stands at 20%, compared to 65% globally and over 100% in developed markets. To deepen penetration, AMFI is expanding financial literacy drives in various states. Despite 80% general literacy, financial literacy remains at only 27%. This is the gap AMFI aims to close.
Thackeray brothers, Uddhav and Raj, could interact with each other in the near future if the feelers flying back and forth materialize in some actual contact between the estranged leaders. Uddhav is reported to have said that he could call Raj for some audio clips of Balasaheb Thackeray’s speeches which are in possession of the MNS founder. But Uddhav added a rider by saying, “Provided that Raj accepts my call.” The statement was in reference to a collection Uddhav is building up of Balasaheb’s audio and video clips. It was Raj who had published a beautiful photo-biography of Balasaheb Thackeray when he was alive and Raj was in the parent party. The gala function was graced by BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee. While gathering material for the book, Raj could obtain several audios of Balasaheb’s speeches between the years 1966 and 1990. Raj broke away from the main party and was rarely seen with Uddhav, once when the latter was hospitalized for a surgery and on another occasion when Sharad Pawar’s platinum jubilee was celebrated in an all-party function. Nonetheless, their acolytes have been lampooning each other. The same happened due to Uddhav’s remark as Raj’s close associate Sandip Deshpande hit back, “Raj Thackeray accepts anyone’s calls. Hence, Uddhav should not have any misgivings on this count. Why is this a matter of ego while saluting Balasaheb’s memory?” The outcome now will depend upon who makes the first move.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has once more foxed all political observers by denying before the Election Commission that his party has split. Moreover, he refused to issue a whip for his party’s Rajya Sabha members to oppose the Delhi Services Bill which was adopted by the Upper House late Monday night. Pawar’s nephew and breakaway group leader Ajit, in a reciprocal move, also did not issue any whip for the bill. On top of it, Ajit’s staunch supporter Praful Patel remained absent when voting took place on the bill. All this happened within a few days when Pawar heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune. As far as the Rajya Sabha suspense is concerned, had either group issued a whip, anti-defection law provisions could have been invoked. Union home minister Amit Shah’s welcome of Ajit in the Shinde-Fadnavis government again raised Shiv Sena (Uddhav) faction’s hackles. This, too, happened in Pune. Pawar’s next move will, therefore, be watched with considerable interest by both sides. Another interesting sidelight of this unfolding drama is the role played by Praful Patel. He is the only leader to have attended the first INDIA meeting of various Opposition parties as a Pawar emissary and the ruling NDA’s golden jubilee celebrations as Ajit’s advisor. It has been noted by political observers that both NCP factions have refrained from attacking each other publicly.
Staunch Hindutva votary Sambhaji Bhide has become the focal point of Maharashtra politics over the past few days because of his certain controversial statements regarding Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru. While Opposition parties in the state legislature have been demanding immediate arrest of the founder of the Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindusthan Sanghatana, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has maintained that any action against Bhide will be in accordance with law. At the same time, Fadnavis has lashed out at the various statements derogatory of freedom fighters like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Bhide had made a shocking statement about the parentage of Gandhiji. Ever since, demonstrations against and in favour of him have been taking place in various parts of Maharashtra. The matter assumed gravity when Maharashtra’s former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and former minister Yashomati Thakur complained that they had received death threats after they spoke out against Bhide’s tirade. While announcing in the legislative assembly Fadanvis asserted that Bhide was not a member of the BJP and would not be spared if found guilty of any offence. The Opposition wanted the government to round up Bhide forthwith but failed to elicit any concrete assurance from the treasury benches and then walked out shouting slogans. Meanwhile, Bhide has said that he stands by his statements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pune visit on August 1 will prove a game changer as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar will be the chief guest for honouring his ‘old friend’ with the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award. The PMO and Sharad Pawar have accepted the invitation, confirmed Rohit Tilak, the great-grandson of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and vice president of Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, both Dy CMs – Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar – as well as senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde will be among those present on the occasion. Shinde has been a member of the Trust for a long time. Faint murmurs of protests were heard from the Congress party in Pune for a couple of days after the award announcement. However, now there is total silence. The occasion will be significant for several reasons. Firstly, Sharad Pawar’s presence will raise eyebrows since he is a key figure in the opposition INDIA formation. Secondly, Pawar and his nephew Ajit will come face to face for the first time after the NCP split a few weeks ago. Thirdly, the Tilak family is stated to be unhappy as it was ignored by the Congress and the BJP while selecting candidates for the recent assembly byelection from Pune. Equally important is the perception that Modi has been visiting Pune often, considering its political clout in Maharashtra.
A plethora of forecasts about installing NCP’s rebel leader Ajit Pawar as Maharashtra chief minister has stirred the state politics, more so because former CM Prithviraj Chavan has even announced the tentative date of the changeover. Ever since Ajit Pawar left the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government, his supporters have launched a campaign to project him as the next CM. Whereas the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has been harping from day one that making Ajit a DCM is the gameplan of the BJP which will soon replace present incumbent Eknath Shinde, the statement by Prithviraj has surprised many. Prithviraj once belonged to the Group 23. Though not a mass leader, his equation with Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge has been quite good. Prithviraj said he had received the indication about the replacement of Shinde from Delhi but declined to divulge more details. He said the change can occur around August 10. The speculation about Shinde’s future has renewed after he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week along with his family. This was described as a farewell call by some Opposition leaders. Shinde himself has maintained silence about the developments but Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis has declared in no uncertain terms that Shinde will continue to remain the CM. “This is made clear to Ajit,” he said.
Allegations that the real purpose of the breakaway NCP group meeting Sharad Pawar twice in two days was to persuade him to attend the NDA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi have been creating ripples in Maharashtra. Pawar attended the INDIA meet of 26 Opposition parties despite such efforts, the faction loyal to him has maintained. Breakaway group MLAs, led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, have remained silent while the BJP, too, has not reacted to the insinuations. Before the NDA meet, Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel called on Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. For the meeting, BJP president JP Nadda and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde were selected to welcome Modi. Shinde’s and Ajit Pawar’s presence on the dais was conspicuous. Even as doubts about Sharad Pawar’s exact gameplan keep on surfacing, his supporters have disclosed that the breakaway group had reached Pawar’s south Mumbai office complex without any prior intimation and called on him after his arrival. But Pawar’s detractors point out that Pawar could be caught unawares once, not twice and not the very next day. The Congress party in Maharashtra is already upset due to the two meetings and has questioned the true intent of this. However, the party high command decided to ignore this discontent and Pawar was invited for the INDIA meet.
Nationalist Congress party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar’s decision to receive two delegations of the breakaway group led by nephew Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar over the past two days has once again rattled the Congress party in Maharashtra. However, the NCP’s both factions have adopted an aggressive attitude, claiming that it is a matter within the family. Pawar first met the nine ministers who took oath just a week ago under the leadership of Ajit Pawar. On July 17, Saheb met various NCP MLAs who had walked out with Ajit. While spokesmen from both sides have maintained that Pawar gave them a patient hearing but did not make any remark, the explanation has raised fresh misgivings. The Congress was in an upbeat mood after the NCP’s split, followed by the Shiv Sena’s division last year, since their decimation had created the possibility of going to the Leader of Opposition post in both houses to the Congress. Worried by the prospects of a patch-up within the NCP, several Congress leaders have questioned Pawar’s consent to meet the defectors. The disquiet was accentuated as the MLAs loyal to Pawar remained away from a collective protest demonstration held by the legislators belonging to the Congress and the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray. The close friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pawar has remained an enigma for a long time. It is in discussion again.
Although he has been taking oath of office ‘solemnly’ and not ‘in the name of God,’ all these years, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has refused to accept Cabin 602, apparently for the stigma attached to it. He has been allotted an office on the seventh floor although the sixth floor of Mantralaya is considered the power centre of Maharashtra. Cabin 602 on the sixth floor of Mantralaya has been back in discussion after Ajit Pawar has declined to occupy it for the third time. This cabin is considered inauspicious for its occupant, many people believe. In the past, then revenue minister Eknath Khadse lost his ministership soon after coming to power in 2014 and found himself surrounded by several serious allegations. Then agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar died due to sudden illness in 2018. Ajit Pawar had to resign once and then lose power in 2014 while he had his office in cabin 602. The much discussed cabin 602 is next to the CM office. It is spread over an area of 3000 sq ft but has no takers while every inch in the Mantralaya complex is considered most priceless. Ajit Pawar himself has ridiculed the superstition attached to the cabin while explaining that he decided to choose another cabin for the sake of convenience of his personnel and visitors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s felicitation in Pune on 1 August 2023 with the prestigious ”Tilak Award” promises to be a major event as various political shades in Maharashtra will share the dais, notwithstanding their differences. Chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde, who is a trust member, will be among those present for the ceremony. This has been announced by Rohit Tilak, trustee of the Lokmanya Tilak Trust, which has been decorating achievers from different fields over the years. Modi’s acceptance to grace the 103rd death anniversary function of Lokmanya Tilak will be significant in many ways, most importantly owing to the BJP’s all out efforts to decimate the NCP’s faction loyal to Pawar and the Shiv Sena bloc with Uddhav Thackeray. Also, it will be for the first time that nephew Ajit Pawar will be meeting his powerful uncle who launched him in politics. The presence of Modi for a function of the Tilak family will have its repercussions within the BJP itself, too. In the recently held assembly byelection from Pune city, the family was sidelined by the party while selecting its candidate. The BJP lost the bypoll, mainly since a large section of the electorate felt aggrieved by the decision. Modi will try to mollify this sentiment in a bid to reestablish the party’s grip over Pune.
The BJP is said to have decided to target the Thackeray family in the days to come. The Shiv Sena under chief minister Eknath Shinde will supplement the onslaught. The first salvo will be fired by the Shinde-Fadnavis regime on 1 July, the day selected by Uddhav Thackeray supporters to take out a morcha to the civic headquarters. Alleging massive malpractices in the various contracts awarded by the administration, the Thackeray faction has started making preparations for the coming civic election, likely to be held after the monsoon this year. The morcha will be the first step in this campaign. To take out the shine from the protest march, the Shinde loyalists have announced that Aaditya Thackeray’s closest friend Rahul Kanal will join the Shiv Sena on that very day. Rahul has already left the posts he held under Aaditya and has also quit the WhatsApp group of that circle. Even a bigger surprise is in the waiting, Shinde’s followers have started whispering. Though Shinde himself has adopted a low profile, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated that the Thackeray family will face some drastic action in the near future. In an interview to Republic TV, Fadnavis went all out against Uddhav and warned him that police officials are collecting evidence necessary to file a chargesheet. He also discounted any possibility of a patch up with Uddhav.
Bharat Rashtra Samiti founder and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s (KCR) decision to exploit the Solapur belt for expanding his party’s presence in Maharashtra has started impacting politics in the state. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has fired a salvo at KCR by taunting him that Rao should take care of his own party first and then dream of coming to Maharashtra for political activities. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, too, has sniggered at Rao’s forays into the state. Undeterred, Rao zeroed in on Solapur because of the substantial Telugu-speaking population in this once famous textile town. The textile trade is controlled by this section. Several MPs and MLAs belonging to this section have dominated Solapur district’s politics for a long time. Telugus in the district have maintained ties with their places of origin in Telangana over the past two centuries. Of late, this section is feeling left out since the district’s politics has taken a pro-BJP turn. Looking for a viable option, some Telugu-speaking leaders have joined the BRS bandwagon. The Rao government has extended several sops to the weaving community in Telangana and is promising to do the same in Maharashtra. Another sore issue is Solapur farmers’ complaint that their share of water is diverted to the more powerful districts like Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. Rao is expected to hammer on this discontent, too, in future.
Whereas Nationalist Congress party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has been working towards Opposition unity at the national level, his own party’s Maharashtra unit is witnessing a cold war in which his nephew Ajit Pawar, senior leaders Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal have become the main players. Ajit has asked the party leadership for organizational responsibility. “I have remained the leader of the opposition in the legislature. Now I wish to work for the organization,” he has declared time and again. On the other hand, his principal rival Jayant Patil, too, is eager to play a larger role in the party’s affairs. Former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal has now added a new dimension to the cold war by demanding that a non-Maratha worker should be entrusted with some major role in the NCP. Bhujbal has told the party that the BJP and the Congress have given important positions to OBC leaders in the organization. The NCP, too, should emulate their example, Bhujbal has advised the leadership. At present, Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya and Ajit occupy most prominent posts in the party. Besides belonging to the Maratha caste, they are perceived as running a family undertaking. Pawar’s decision to keep Ajit away from any new responsibility has been interpreted variously. As a result, several BJP leaders have started extending open invitations to Ajit to join their fold. Pawar’s next move will decide which way the dice turns.
Besides sending shock waves in political circles, Uddhav Thackeray’s ardent soldier Maneesha Kayande’s sudden entry into the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde has once again revived the fight for the post of leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council. At present, the UIddhav group and the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) have nine MLCs each on their side. Uddhav’s loyalist Ambadas Danve is the LoP in the Upper House. However, due to MLC Kayande’s abrupt switch, the equation is disturbed. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has indicated that his party can consider claiming the post after the new arithmetic. While the post of chairman of the council has been vacant, Uddhav’s follower Neelam Gorhe has been handling the work in her capacity as deputy chairperson of the house. In all probability, the matter of changing sides by Kayande can be referred to her if the Uddhav group challenges her move. In that case, Gorhe will have to adjudicate if the defection is legal or otherwise. Kayande had been a frontline worker of the BJP for almost two decades. She left the party due to some unpleasant developments within that party and joined the Shiv Sena, then a single entity. She was sent to the council by Uddhav. Her term of the house ends next year. Kayande was welcomed into the party by Shinde amidst much fanfare on the eve of the Sena’s Foundation Day anniversary.
Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) has opened its first Maharashtra office in Nagpur with a bang. Former BJP MLAs Charan Waghmare and Raju Todsam have joined the party, hailing the leadership of Telangana chief minister and BRS founder K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR). They have alleged that the BJP in Vidarbha region was more favourable to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) than to its own workers. Waghmare said he was expelled from the party because he was opposed to the BJP’s electoral alliance with the NCP. Both plan to contest the next assembly election on BRS tickets. Buoyed by the increasing response, BRS has announced that it will be opening its offices all over Maharashtra in the near future. Already, the BRS is gaining popularity in Marathwada region for Telangana’s decision to buy its onion, otherwise dumped by farmers by the roadside since the prices in that region had crashed and it was not possible to sell the produce. Former MLA Harshwardhan Jadhav, who joined the BRS about a month ago, took the initiative to finalise the deal between the growers and the market committees in Telangana. Another former MLA, Deepak Atram, has predicted that more and more political workers will enter the BRS after frustration with their present party leadership. KCR is now said to be concentrated more on Maharashtra than on Andhra Pradesh and is in search of influential leaders from other parties.
Nationalist Congress party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has sprung one more surprise as part of his reshuffle of party top functionaries. NCP’s Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare has been appointed national treasurer. Various interpretations are coming forward since Tatkare is viewed as a staunch supporter of Pawar though considered close to Ajit Pawar as well. Nonetheless, the appointment of Tatkare is termed as a blow for Ajit, whose position within the party is becoming shaky by the day, his detractors whisper. On the other hand, keeping Ajit away from all top party posts is described as a masterstroke by Pawar’s loyalists. In a tricky situation, Ajit can build bridges with the BJP if the Congress or the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray decide to sideline the NCP in the coming elections, especially the Mumbai municipal contest. Already, some leaders of the two parties have started indicating that they will not accept the NCP as the main force in the Maha Vikas Aghadi that ruled the state for two and a half years. In the fluid situation, the reticence of the BJP is felt to be fraught with a hidden agenda since except for Devendra Fadnavis, none of the party leaders have reacted to the developments within the NCP. In stark contrast, Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut has not lost a single opportunity to needle Ajit Pawar, whose next move will decide the shape of things in Maharashtra.
After Karnataka, an alleged rate-card for bureaucratic transfers is claimed to be existing in Maharashtra, too. Former deputy chief minister and now leader of the Opposition Ajit Pawar has charged that the Shinde-Fadnavis government in the state has been indulging in corruption for transfers and appointments of various officials. Pawar has also said that only a select group of MLAs has been authorized to decide on the transfers. Pawar said his interaction with several IAS and IPS officers had revealed that although they were empowered to transfer staff, they had been told orally that only those staff members should be transferred whose names appear in a list sent from Mantralaya, the state government headquarters. Pawar disclosed that some such officials had gone abroad, too. Is there any connection between the transfers and foreign jaunts of certain leaders, he demanded to know. Quoting media reports, Pawar claimed that the rate to transfer an assistant in the agriculture department was Rs 3 lakh! If officials are transferred by extorting huge amounts from them, how can they be expected to be honestly performing their duty? Unless the mindset of the officials changes, people can’t expect good administration, he observed. Pawar advised the media to speak with different officials to verify the truth in what he was saying. He lamented that such an atmosphere had never existed in Maharashtra.
The Congress party’s confidence has suddenly heightened in Maharashtra following the sweep in the Karnataka assembly election. Maharashtra Congress since has begun to adopt an aggressive stand by indicating that it aspires to be the main partner of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi which has started planning for the 2024 general elections. Presently, the Congress is the smallest constituent of MVA. State Congress president Nana Patole has announced that the party’s election strategy will be discussed on 21 May at its Osmanabad meet, to be followed by a conclave in Mumbai on 23 May. MVA has decided to fight the assembly and Lok Sabha elections next year jointly. A committee consisting three members from each partner will be formed to discuss and finalise seat distribution. The MVA meeting was held at NCP president Sharad Pawar’s residence. However, the first litmus test will be the civic election in Mumbai, likely to take place at the end of the year. While earlier the party said that the MVA banner will be the collective front, a survey carried out by the Congress has forecast that it can emerge as the second largest party. Now, Patole is saying that the Congress will consider facing the BMC election on its own strength. The response by the NCP and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) will determine the future course of action.
Within 24 hours of the Supreme Court verdict in its favour, the Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has fired the first salvo against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by withdrawing suspension of former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh. Many more such shocks will be administered in the days to come, indications suggest. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has disclosed that the state government had merely implemented an order by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which had inferred that the departmental enquiry against Singh had been illegal and had scrapped the suspension. However, the coincidence is considered too significant to be accepted as an official formality. Singh’s new posting is expected to be announced soon. Singh’s reinstatement is viewed against the backdrop of another top IPS officer, Rashmi Shukla, who has already been accommodated in a Central posting. Both these officials were in the unwritten black list of the tripartite MVA, which ruled the state for 30 months. Singh had levelled serious allegations against then home minister Anil Deshmukh, a top NCP leader, who was facing the heat in connection with the explosives planted outside the residence of industrial magnate Mukesh Ambani. The case is sub-judice. Singh was suspended and an arrest warrant had been issued against him by the previous MVA government as its clashes with the Union government had escalated into a virtual war. MVA is girding up to face the onslaught, according to one of its leaders.
Although NCP president Sharad Pawar has staged a comeback, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray or the Congress in Maharashtra have refused to dilute their caustic stance towards the third partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. State Congress president Nana Patole and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan are in the forefront of humiliating the NCP time and again for various reasons. Patole has warned the NCP that its cosy relationship with the BJP could vitiate the atmosphere. Chavan has directly implied that a sizable faction of the NCP is still in cahoots with the BJP. Angered by the attacks, Pawar has hit back at Chavan. “Let Chavan find out his own place in the Congress party. Which category does he belongs to? A, B, C or D? Chavan’s cronies will tell you (the media) but not openly,” Pawar remarked. The NCP is already in an aggressive mood after Sena (Uddhav) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ censured Pawar’s decision to withdraw his resignation following a high-voltage drama. The most pointed statement in the ‘Saamana’ editorial was that Pawar had not been able to groom his successor. Firebrand OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal castigated Sena MP Sanjay Raut by telling him that Pawar’s political career was longer than Raut’s age. Pawar has thus sent out a signal that the NCP will not tolerate any such criticism and the verbal clashes are likely to become more thorny in the days to come.
A committee of top NCP leaders has rejected party chief Sharad Pawar’s resignation, sending out clear signals that the supporters of Ajit Pawar have been isolated. The decision of rejection will be conveyed to Pawar, whose final response is awaited. Senior leaders Praful Patel and Jayant Patil briefed the media about the committee’s decision, claiming that there was mounting pressure on Pawar by important leaders across the political spectrum in the country. The committee’s verdict was more or less expected since barring Ajit Pawar, none had endorsed Pawar’s announcement to lay down reins of the party, formed in 1999. Over the past two days, Pawar loyalists had been lobbying for consolidating the situation in their favour. Expectedly, the rank and file fell in line, reiterating the demand that Pawar should continue. Whatever decision Pawar takes, it has become evident that he will control the party affairs. The moment chosen by Pawar to resign is considered fraught with many tacit messages, especially as he has castigated former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar. At the same time, Pawar has blunted the constant grievance that there are plans at the Centre to wean away Mumbai from Maharashtra. ‘There is no such move,’ Pawar has declared in no uncertain terms, deflating Uddhav’s persistent campaign to rouse pro-Maharashtra sentiments. Pawar’s continuation, at least till the next general elections in 2024, has started looking probable now.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s revised autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Saangaatee’ has made several sensational disclosures, including the fact that then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray felt short in handling the situation within the Shiv Sena, created after he decided to form Maha Vikas Aghadi. Admitting that he did not foresee such momentous developments in the Sena due to the formation of MVA, Pawar said with Uddhav, he did not enjoy the ease he felt while talking with Balasaheb. “Owing to Uddhav’s health and his medical appointments, it was necessary to seek his appointment,” Pawar has revealed. About the revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar to form a government with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the NCP boss has noted that he was shocked when his telephone rang at 6.30 am on 23 November 2019. He was told what Ajit was up to. This was going to be a major jolt since the NCP was in the forefront of forming the MVA government. Had this happened, it would have finished NCP’s credibility. Pawar then rang up Uddhav and broke the news. Soon, it became evident that about 10 NCP MLAs had gone with Ajit. Immediately, Pawar sprang into action and the revolt was nipped in the bud. The book is replete with many interesting nuggets but was ignored after Pawar declared his decision to step down.
While the two Shiv Sena factions are battling over the proposed mega refinery project at Barsu in Ratnagiri district, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have kept away their organisations from the imbroglio so far. Chief minister Eknath Shinde announced that the opponents of the project have gone back and peace has returned to the area. He disclosed that over 70% of those to be affected have backed the project. On the other hand, former CM Uddhav Thackeray will visit the area in the first week of May, according to Sena (U) MP Vinayak Raut. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has condemned the police action against the protestors though other top leaders of the party have more or less kept mum. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has objected to the lathi charge by the police but has not opposed the project. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, too, has been advising the state government to hold a dialogue with people affected by the project and proceed only thereafter. The Congress and the NCP have not organised or joined any protest march. The BJP, too, has refrained from making its presence felt, leaving the responsibility to Eknath Shinde and industry minister Uday Samant. The project issue will be the main focus of the Maha Vikas Aghadi rally to be held in Mumbai on 1 May, Maharashtra Day
How political loyalties prompt various parties to make an about turn over their past policies is seen in Maharashtra at present over the land survey process for the proposed oil refinery at Barsu-Solgaon in Ratnagiri district carried out under heavy police bandobast. Although Maha Vikas Aghadi chief minister Uddhav Thackeray himself had written a letter to the Prime Minister to offer the same land for the project, the three MVA partners have attacked the Shinde-Fadnavis government for the survey. Industry minister Uday Samant, while releasing the letter to the media, alleged that the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena under Uddhav are adopting double standards now. Quoting from the letter written by Uddhav on 12 January 2022 to PM Narendra Modi, the minister said the state government had offered 1300 acres in Barsu and 1344 acres of land at Nate for the refinery. Uddhav had assured the PM that almost 90% of land was unoccupied and hence there would not be any displacement. Moreover, the project would boost the Maharashtra economy without harming the environment. Samant alleged that Uddhav had also opposed the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway but wanted to inaugurate the project to take credit for its completion. He was not successful due to a change of government. The issue will dominate the MVA rally to be held in Mumbai on 1 May, Maharashtra Day.
Efforts by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule and the party’s top leader Ajit Pawar to lift the veil of suspense have only added to the uncertainty hanging over Maharashtra’s political future. On the one hand, Maha Vikas Aghadi’s principal partner, the NCP, is seen fighting the lone battle to ward off the cloud of intrigue over it. On the other hand, studied silence by the top guns of the BJP and chief minister Eknath Shinde over several recent developments is considered a lull before the storm. On Tuesday (Apr 18), Ajit Pawar made a spirited denial about the possibility of his crossing over to the BJP along with his supporter MLAs. The Congress and the Sena under Uddhav Thackeray have made little effort to dismiss the rumours surrounding Ajit’s likely jump into the saffron camp. Ever since Sena MP Sanjay Raut flashed Sharad Pawar’s purported admission before Uddhav that his party MLAs were targeted by the BJP to join it, a sense of unease is felt in Maharashtra’s polity. As if to add to the mystery, Supriya has predicted that two explosions will take place within the next 15 days, one in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. But she did not specifically mention the Supreme Court’s expected verdict which will determine the direction of future equations.
Maharashtra governor Ramesh Bais is said to be replaced soon so as to free him to lead the Chhattisgarh BJP for the coming assembly election at the end of the year. A top leader in the state once under BJP’s domination, Bais was appointed as Maharashtra governor on 12 February in place of Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who had to pack his bags amidst a slew of protests over some of his statements. Bais had been elected to the Lok Sabha repeatedly to represent Raipur constituency, the capital of Chhattisgarh. However, the BJP’s decision to deny another chance to all its sitting MPs in Chhattisgarh had come as a shock. Never reacting to this decision, Bais worked as governor of Tripura between 2019 and 2021. Later, he took over as governor of Jharkhand in July 2021. The BJP leadership’s search to prop up some state leaders after its defeat in the last assembly election came to a naught. Therefore, it is said to have decided to come back to the trusted and tasted Bais to accept the mantle. Bais has maintained a stoic silence about the possibility. In case Bais is replaced, the party will have to install some loyalists into the sensitive Mumbai Raj Bhavan in view of the soon to be expected Supreme Court verdict about the change of government in Maharashtra and the Lok Sabha as well assembly elections next year.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has revised his stand on the need for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Adani issue. “I am all for opposition unity and hence will not be rigid if other friends feel differently,” Pawar told Marathi news channel ABP Majha. He said although his views could be different, he would not permit the Opposition team to be affected on this count. Pawar spoke on various developments including the change of guard in Maharashtra in June 2022. He criticised then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to resign without consulting the other two partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which ruled the state for 30 months. Pawar pointed out that the coalition had come to power unitedly and hence Uddhav should have interacted with them before taking such a decision. Unilateral decisions can lead to an adverse outcome, he warned. Pawar has been hitting headlines over the past few days, refuelling speculation about his party’s exact policy and plans. For instance, the NCP chief had dismissed the need to investigate the Prime Minister’s academic degree. Pawar’s luncheon visit to the residence of senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari at Nagpur a week ago had similarly renewed innuendos by some opposition leaders to recall Ajit Pawar’s swearing in with Devendra Fadnavis in 2019. They are apprehensive about his future steps.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s whirlwind visit to Ayodhya on Sunday will achieve multiple objectives. Besides reaffirming the faith of the Shiv Sena under him in aggressive Hindutva, it will also force the hand of the rival Sena outfit led by Uddhav Thackeray to adopt a more pronounced hardline, but not without assessing the reaction of the Congress and other opposition parties in several states. Although Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party has been taking ambivalent stands on different issues, the Congress is upset since it has been compelled to backtrack on the Savarkar imbroglio. According to Shinde’s itinerary, he will spend April 9 in Ayodhya after landing at Lucknow airport, where he will be welcomed by thousands of Shiv Sainiks, who are already on their way to Uttar Pradesh. Shinde is likely to meet his UP counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, during the sojourn. Shinde’s supporters have enthusiastically participated in the Savarkar Gaurav Yatra in different areas of Maharashtra over the past week. Shinde and his ministers do not waste a single opportunity to needle the Sena (Uddhav) over the twin planks: Hindutva and Savarkar. Though Uddhav could bend the Congress to his will following his outburst over Savarkar, many regional opposition parties have not liked the outcome. Hence, Shinde’s one-day visit will result in scripting the next political moves, not just in Maharashtra.
A vituperative verbal war has erupted between two topmost Maharashtra leaders over alleged manhandling of a woman political activist in Thane, hometown of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Both have used select abuses to attack each other. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned former CM Uddhav Thackeray, “I am from Nagpur and can use still worse language,” while responding to the invective hurled at him. Uddhav has called him ‘fadtoos’ (worthless) and a bootlicker while condemning an alleged attack on his follower Roshni Shinde by some women followers of the CM. The atmosphere in Thane was surcharged as the news of the incident spread on social media. Initial reports said Roshni was manhandled despite her being pregnant. She has been kept in the ICU ward of a Thane hospital. A spokesman of the hospital told the media that Roshni did not show any grievous injury nor was she pregnant. However, Uddhav rushed to Thane along with wife Rashmi and son Aaditya. After meeting her, Uddhav showered insults at Fadnavis, calling him the most inefficient home minister. “This is an impotent government which instigates attacks against women,” he charged. Fadnavis reacted with equal venom. He said, “”Some elements are worried since I am holding the home portfolio. They are trying their best to get rid of me. But they won’t succeed.” He has warned Uddhav to mind his language or face the consequences.
Top Nationalist Congress party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has once again shown how a mature politician should behave and talk. Taking to task a Congress leader for his ‘inhuman’ utterances about selecting a candidate for the Pune Lok Sabha byelection, Pawar pulled up his own party colleague Jayant Patil for predicting the fall of the Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra. Pawar’s sharp response to media questions on both these sensitive issues was laced with outrage. He also admonished Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders not to vitiate the atmosphere in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which is shaken by a communal incident in the night after Ramnavami. MVA has planned a public meeting there on Sunday (Apr 2) but it is doubtful if the administration will allow it in view of the tension in the area. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar had stated that MVA will file a candidate in Pune seat, vacated owing to the demise of BJP MP Girish Bapat. When asked for his response, Pawar angrily said, “Have some humanity. It is just three days for the death of Bapat.” About Jayant Patil’s prediction, he said, “I shall be meeting Patil on Sunday. Shall ask him what clue he has found to make such a statement.” Refusing to criticise the state government about the Sambhajinagar incident, Pawar quipped that the priority was to restore normalcy. MVA leaders should desist from making any controversial statements, he has advised.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar has once again kept his supporters and opponents intrigued simultaneously, this time by preventing censure of Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He has done it by forcing the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi to sheath their tirade against the Hindutva icon. At a meeting of various Opposition leaders at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the contentious issue was raised by Pawar, who warned that attacks against Savarkar would prove politically costly for all three partners of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – the NCP, Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena – in and beyond Maharashtra. This stand was supported by various Congress leaders, making Rahul to yield. Pawar has shocked the polity time and again by his changing priorities. A close confidant of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, he became a powerful minister under Manmohan Singh for 10 years. In 2014, he announced unilateral unasked support for the BJP in Maharashtra after the assembly elections. This announcement forced the BJP and the then Sena to form a coalition. In 2019, his nephew Ajit Pawar took oath along with Devendra Fadnavis but their regime survived barely 72 hours. Pawar’s masterstroke was installing Uddhav as Maharashtra chief minister. Once again, he has shown that he can give politics the direction he wishes.
While the Supreme Court has dismissed a petition over the renaming of Aurangabad saying it would be heard in the high court in Mumbai next week, over a lakh objections have been filed against the change though the number of supporting applications is less than 1300. The last date for filing objections or supporting applications in the Divisional Commissioner office is March 27. On March 23 alone, over 46000 objections were filed to oppose the rechristening. So far, around 115,000 applications against the renaming have been received. The total number of supporters was less than 1300 till last evening. Despite spirited speeches and demonstrations by the pro-renaming groups, those in favour of changing the name to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are much less as compared to the opponents. Some supporters have announced that 30,000 postcards to support the renaming will be sent to the authorities. A similar scenario is seen about the renaming of Osmanabad to Dharashiv. About 20,000 objections have been received but the number of supporting applications could not be ascertained. It is believed to be just a couple of hundred. The renaming issue is becoming political and the final court verdict will determine the direction in which it will be exploited by either side. The state government had attempted to rename Aurangabad in 1996 but the court had issued an order to maintain the status quo.
The embattled Adani Group has been provided with much-needed relief by the Maharashtra government, which has strongly defended its decision to entrust the Dharavi redevelopment project to the giant. Disregarding a demand to drive the conglomerate away in view of the clouds hovering over it due to the Hindenburg disclosures, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made this clear in the state assembly. Dharavi’s Congress MLA and former minister Varsha Gaikwad had demanded that the project should be handed over to some other reputed firm by taking it away from Adani. Maintaining that the group had won the bid in open competition, Fadnavis said unless Adani Group fulfilled all the legal and financial formalities, the government would not issue it with a letter of intent (LoI). If financial institutions were satisfied with Adani’s status, they would extend the funding. In such a situation, there was no reason for the government to intervene. Former finance minister Jayant Patil reminded the government that Adani had recently withdrawn from a huge power project buyout in Central India and asked what was the timeline for completion of the project?. It will be completed within seven years, Fadnavis assured him. The project was originally conceived nearly three decades ago. Redeveloped Dharavi will absorb the overflow into the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and add billions to the government’s coffer.
A tacit message by Maharashtra Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis that he has in his possession the names of some top politicians and police officials in connection with an attempt to implicate his wife Amruta in a bribery trap has cast a pallor of apprehension since many heavyweights would face trouble, if his threat becomes a reality. The disclosure by Amruta that a designer, Aniksha, had tried to offer her a bribe of a crore of rupees in return for protecting her father Anil Jaisinghani who is a bookie, shook the political circles in the state. Immediately, guesswork began about the different angles of the serious matter. Fadnavis himself explained later that there was truth in the complaint and many prominent names could tumble out during the investigation. Aniksha has been arrested and sent to police custody till March 21. In the special court, Mumbai Police said that they have added charges of extortion against Aniksha, for demanding Rs 10 crore from Amruta. While most political leaders desisted from commenting upon the shocking development, Uddhav Thackeray’s follower Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha member, was engaged in a Twitter war with Amruta. She wondered how Aniksha could obtain access to such an important household. In retaliation, Amruta has castigated Priyanka for doubting her honesty.
Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s right hand Subhash Desai’s son Bhushan’s entry into the Shiv Sena is likely to create a political clash between the two parties running the Maharashtra government. The BJP’s Goregaon unit leader Sandeep Jadhav has strongly objected to the development. In his letter to CM Eknath Shinde, he says, “Bhushan is afraid of getting implicated in some economic transaction and hence has joined the Sena to protect himself. Entry to such a tainted person can adversely affect the BJP’s alliance with the Sena.” Desai’s political career of over four decades shaped in Goregaon, is now the BJP’s stronghold. Although Desai has politically disowned his son, the local BJP’s anger against Bhushan can’t be overlooked by the party, it is felt. As Shinde himself welcomed Bhushan into the Sena fold on Sunday (Mar 12), all eyes are now on deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who will have to douse the sparks which threaten to erupt any moment in an inferno. Uddhav’s spokesman Sanjay Raut recalled that industry minister Uday Samant, earlier with Uddhav, had levelled serious allegations against Bhushan in the past. “The CM has cleansed him through his washing machine,” said Raut. Explaining his decision, Bhushan has said that he decided to support Shinde who was following the path laid down by Balasaheb Thackeray.
Fatal attack by four unidentified assailants on MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande in the busy Shivaji Park area has fuelled a bitter political war as his party colleagues have demanded arrest of Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut. The police are treading cautiously as any wrong action by any side can potentially blow up in a serious law and order problem. Known as a politically mature state once upon a time, increasing incidence of violence has become the norm in recent times. Beating up of government officials and assaults on police personnel was never heard of in older times but even that scenario is changing for worse. Alleged involvement by ministers like Jitendra Awhad or Bachchu Kadu in thrashing political opponents and conviction of some of them has been becoming frequent. The sad part is that the political parties concerned avoid taking any disciplinary action fearing electoral fallout. Deshpande, a vocal critic of the Thackeray family and a confidant of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, has been in the forefront of exposing the BMC corruption. He has vowed to continue his crusade.
Even as the SC hearing about the political developments in Maharashtra is underway, the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde has created a sticky situation for Uddhav Thackeray. It has appointed a lone Sena member in the legislative council, Viplav Bajoria, as its whip in the upper house. Since Uddhav is a member of the council, any directive issued by Bajoria can create difficulties for him, legal experts feel. The Sena has sought council’s deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe’s recognition for Bajoria’s appointment. Uddhav’s response to this challenge is awaited with bated breath. The Thackeray faction has 10 members in the council while Bajoria is the only one to have supported Shinde. The Sena has appointed Bharat Gogawle as its whip in the assembly. He has already issued a directive to all 55 ‘Sena’ members, which includes those supporting Uddhav. They have declared that no such whip can apply to them as the matter is before the Apex Court. Despite this, the Shinde faction has appointed Bajoria, a move aimed at cornering Uddhav. The Shinde faction earlier in the day flashed portraits of Shinde and his mentor Anand Dighe alongside that of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray in the parliament complex party office, removing pictures of Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray. Both sides have declared that they will fight to the finish.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s closest aide Milind Narvekar shot in the news after a gap of some months as his presence in the central hall of Maharashtra legislature became the most discussed political development on the opening day of the state’s budget session. Later, he said he had entered the hall owing to a misunderstanding. Narvekar had hit headlines in the past due to his close personal equations with various top leaders like Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde. His perceived plans to jump into one camp or another are always a matter of curiosity as he has been associated with varied institutions, from the Tirupati Temple Trust to the Mumbai Cricket Association. Political speculation was rife when Narvekar was seen in the hallowed precincts. His clarification that he had sat in the hall, mistaking it for the viewers’ gallery, was considered thin. Narvekar’s act, ostensibly inadvertent, has raised many questions as he is not new to the legislature to commit such a blunder. His party leader Aaditya Thackeray, when quizzed said, “Ask Milind if he entered the hall due to a mistake or it was his wish.” To corner the Uddhav faction over the issue, Eknath Shinde’s trusted supporter Sanjay Shirsat said, “Narvekar is in touch with us and many more MLAs are also in contact.”
The Maharashtra government under Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis has decided to adopt the path of aggressive Hindutva in the days to come after the Centre’s nod to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad in Marathwada. Following the favourable decision, there are demands rising that Ahmednagar, the largest district in the state, should be renamed as Ahilyanagar to perpetuate the memory of Ahilyabai Holkar, the 17th century ruler of Indore. Similar demands have been made to rename Islampur as Ishwarpur or Alibaug as Shribaug but have not enjoyed much traction as earlier regimes didn’t respond to them. As a step in this direction, the state government has announced a grand tribute to Hindutva icon Veer Savarkar on February 26 at Bhagur, his birthplace near Nashik. More such celebrations are in the offing across the state.
After Delhi and Punjab chief ministers met Shiv Sena (U) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai, party MP Sanjay Raut claimed that many top Opposition leaders were in contact with their party. However, no names were disclosed by him. AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann called on Uddhav at his residence Matoshree, Bandra. They later attacked the Union government and the BJP for misusing various Central agencies for political purposes. Kejriwal felt that Maharashtra was behind Uddhav. But he averted a direct reply when asked if he would form an alliance with Uddhav. Nonetheless, he indicated that the association among Opposition parties would be strengthened rather than fighting with each other. Uddhav had earlier announced that he would liaise with major opposition parties to mount a joint front against the BJP. His supporters had hinted that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, too, could come to Mumbai to further the process. But she has yet to make any such plans known. Sena (U) detractors remember Raut’s prediction at the time of Uddhav swearing-in as chief minister in 2019 that he (Uddhav) would be a prospective PM choice by the non-BJP opposition in 2024. Though Uddhav himself has never been heard to have made any such intention public, he has neither discounted the possibility. Political activity in Maharashtra will warm up after the two Pune assembly byelections results are out next week.
Electioneering for the Kasba and Pimpri-Chinchwad assembly byelections has been caught in a communal blizzard in its last moments as NCP president Sharad Pawar has defended a controversial appeal to the voters by former Congress Pune corporator Usman Hiroli. Addressing an NCP meeting, Hiroli had said, “Bring all those back from Dubai or Saudi on February 26. Even those should be made to vote who are no more.” When quizzed by the media, Pawar said there was nothing wrong to call back those who may have gone to Dubai or Kathmandu. It would have been proper to object had Hiroli asked non-voters to vote, Pawar observed. In the speech, Hiroli is heard saying, “We can win this war, defeat Modi and the RSS, only when we vote, not just 99% but 100%.” Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has condemned the appeal, saying that this bypoll is a battle between the supporters and opponents of the removal of Article 370 to liberate Kashmir. It is an attempt to polarise society on religious lines, he alleged. In a bid to clarify his statement, Hiroli said that about 1500 young boys and girls from Kasba constituency are in Saudi, Dubai and Kuwait. “All I meant was that they should be called for voting as they frequently come here,” he explained.
Even as various disclosures are rocking the polity in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is haunted by some unidentified elements which are projecting one party leader after another as the next possible chief minister of the state. Fearing an avoidable sticky situation, NCP MP Supriya Sule, only child of party supremo Sharad Pawar, was livid as her image was flashed on a flex board outside the NCP office in south Mumbai. It was hastily removed but only adding to the mystery shrouding the identity of the ‘well-wisher’. Supriya demanded immediate action against the mystery man by the police. First, it was NCP Maharashtra president Jayant Patil and he was followed by Ajit Pawar on flex boards. The flex on her said, “Supriya Sule, first woman CM of Maharashtra.” She demanded that the identity of the flex displayer should be established. When the flex about Patil as the next CM was put up, it was brushed aside as a misplaced birthday wish. However, within days, Ajit’s name was flashed. Even before the party had recovered, Supriya’s name has been propagated. In a bid to quell the sensation, Ajit had reiterated that there was no competition between Supriya and him. But she has taken the matter gravely, indicating that she will pursue it.
NCP president Sharad Pawar’s suggestive response to a query about the swearing-in of an alliance of BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and his nephew Ajit Pawar in the morning of 23 November 2019 is indirectly endorsed by former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The mystery is becoming murkier as Ajit’s resolve to maintain silence over the sensational development is disregarded by Pawar. “Where is the need for Ajit to speak? Would the President’s Rule have been lifted if there were no swearing-in?” Pawar said obliquely on Wednesday (Feb 22) in Pune. Fadnavis had revealed a few days ago that the two-party government was formed with Pawar’s blessings and knowledge. Last month, NCP leader Jayant Patil, too, had remarked that the alliance was formed so that President’s Rule could end in Maharashtra. Patil had hurriedly retracted the statement but Fadnavis had reiterated it a few days ago, reopening the debate. In spite of the provocation, Ajit has been declining to discuss ‘a long past’ incident. However, his uncle has decided to give credence to whispers that all this planning was hatched for making Uddhav Thackeray the chief minister by showing that an elected government could be formed in Maharashtra. Koshyari said in an interview in Dehradun while backing this supposition, “Leaders of both parties came to me, showed me signatures of the supporting MLAs. I administered the oath to both.”
Uddhav faction Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has stunned the political circles in Maharashtra by alleging that notorious gangster Raja Thakur has been given a contract (Supari) to attack him by chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant, also MP. In a letter written to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, Raut said that Thakur is an ill-famed goon from Thane. While Shinde’s career began from Thane, Shrikant was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kalyan in Thane district. Thakur is a history sheeter from Thane, presently out on bail. Raut’s grave charge has come a couple of days after former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan has complained to the police that he has been followed by certain elements and expressed apprehensions about his own safety. Raut says in his letter, released to the media, that incidence of threatening elected representatives and attacking them has been on the increase though it is not Maharashtra’s culture. A copy of the complaint is sent to Thane’s commissioner of police as well. Raut’s complaint needs serious attention, according to his party leader Aaditya Thackeray. However, it has been trashed by senior minister Shambhuraj Desai, who said, “Raut levels false allegations without producing any evidence. This is a design to defame Shrikant Shinde.”
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray are bracing to face Tuesday for a number of reasons, the most important being a Supreme Court view on the status of the ‘Shiv Sena’ MLAs and MLCs. Owing to the Election Commission decision to declare the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena party, several thorny issues are likely to erupt. As the SC is scheduled to take up various matters relating to the developments in Maharashtra on Tuesday, Uddhav has announced that he will not abide by the EC’s verdict as his side has challenged it and is awaiting the Apex Court’s fiat. On the other hand, Shiv Sena party has made it clear that the whips issued by it will be binding on everyone elected on the Sena symbol of bow and arrow. As this could apply to himself and his faction, Uddhav will be in a quandary if any SC judgment proves inconvenient for his side. At the same time, Shinde supporters are now looking forward to a meeting of the Shiv Sena national executive, to be held on Tuesday (Feb 21) after they possessed the Sena office in the Maharashtra legislature complex on Monday (Feb 20). The executive will meet tomorrow at Hotel Taj President in south Mumbai. The future course of action will be charted out at this conclave.
The Election Commission’s decision to allot the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena to the faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde will not affect the ownership of ‘Shiv Sena Bhavan,’ the headquarters of the party for decades. The imposing edifice at Dadar in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park locality is associated with the memory of Balasaheb Thackeray. Legally, the structure is owned by a trust and hence is not likely to be covered under the EC verdict. Sena (U) leaders have maintained that all the Shakhas (units) of their party will continue to occupy the offices from which they have been operating for a long time. The issue of Shiv Sena Bhavan’s ownership was a topic for discussion for a while after the Shinde faction formed government in the state. However, it went into oblivion as the CM’s followers announced that they would be finding a separate office for their entity, but in the same vicinity. The search for a suitable office space is now expected to resume. The issue was raised again after the EC’s Friday (Feb 17) decision but the Sena (U) has firmly ruled out any change in the status of Shiv Sena Bhavan, saying it is part of the emotional life of every party worker. Uddhav Thackeray has already made it clear that he will continue to fight. His battle will be conducted from the Sena Bhavan.
The Election Commission’s decision about the change of guard in Maharashtra is interpreted as a signal for a midterm election, considering the possibility of the Supreme Court ruling against the Shinde-Fadnavis alliance government. As the EC’s verdict is in favour of the Shinde faction, which has now the Shiv Sena name and symbol, leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – comprising the Sena (U), the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – are assessing the likelihood of the dissolution of the assembly by the government to force a snap poll. If this happens, the Shinde faction and the BJP will be better equipped to fight the election, according to thinking in MVA circles. Though the alliance is in a celebratory mood, its leaders have concentrated all their efforts on the two assembly byelections in Pune since any MVA win at this juncture can result in loss of face for the BJP, the dominant partner of the alliance. Interestingly, NCP president Sharad Pawar has already advised Uddhav that there would be no point in criticizing the EC’s decision since it is a constitutional body. “Instead, choose a new symbol and go ahead,” said Pawar. In this age of information technology, it will be easy to transmit the new symbol all over the state, he pointed out. Citing the splits in the Congress and other parties, he recalled how the new symbols were accepted by the electorate.
Shiv Sena (U) MP Sanjay Raut’s allegation that there was a sinister design to liquidate him in jail custody has been ridiculed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “Raut says something in the morning but does not remember it the same evening,” Fadnavis remarked. Raut had made the allegation while he was interacting with the media after calling on family members of Ratnagiri-based journalist Shashikant Warishe, killed last week under the wheels of a speeding vehicle. Warishe had been articulating the grievances of would-be project affected persons, who were protesting against the proposed oil refinery in the area. Following allegations that the journalist was killed by a member of the pro-refinery lobby, Fadnavis announced the establishment of a seven-member SIT to probe the incident. Raut said, “I am doubtful if the investigation by the SIT will be carried out honestly.” He reiterated that Warishe was killed and that it was not a death in a road accident. All three CCTVs where Warishe died were not functioning at the same time while footage from other CCTVs was not becoming available; the eight workers at the petrol pump nearby had been pressured not to give a statement, Raut said. The MP warned that the plot to eliminate him was known to many and he would throw more light on it at a proper time.
The two Pune assembly byelections to be held at the end of February will prove decisive in many ways as they will test the respective clouts of the two warring sides. While the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is still grappling to quell the rebellion which is causing concern to its candidate, the BJP is feeling buoyant since its veteran Girish Bapat, called Kasba’s Tiger, has declared his resolve to participate in campaigning. Pimpri-Chinchwad MVA nominee Nana Kate has been handpicked by NCP leader Ajit Pawar. This decision has been challenged by one of his supporters, Rahul Kalate, who has filed nomination as an independent. Kate’s fight is becoming difficult since Kalate had polled substantial votes in 2019 as NCP’s candidate. Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar has declared the support of Vanchit Aghadi to Kalate, saying that he had sought it. Ambedkar had only recently announced his electoral pact with Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, a major MVA partner. The seat was held by BJP’s Laxman Jagtap, whose demise has caused the byelection. In Kasba Peth constituency in Pune, the reigning BJP had some anxious moments as Bapat had pleaded inability to campaign due to indisposition. However, Union home minister Amit Shah’s Pune visit scheduled over the weekend has changed the scenario, with the BJP heaving a sigh of relief.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray is on a spree to meet prominent leaders of various communities in a bid to spread the party’s outreach beyond just the Marathi-speaking population. He has been using the visits to castigate the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over different thorny issues. Last week, Modi had inaugurated the new academy of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Aljamea tus Saifiyah Arabic Academy, in Marol in Mumbai’s Andheri area. The event is viewed as part of the BJP’s plan to liaise with sub-sections of minority communities. Uddhav too visited the newly inaugurated campus. He was accompanied by his son and MLA Aaditya, a former minister under him. The Thackerays met the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin. A week ago, Uddhav had attended the Anjan Shalaka Pratishta Ritual of the highly revered 13th Tirthankar (Jin), Vimalnath Bhagwan. The ceremony was held at the Jain Temple near Walchand Heights in Bhayandar West, a BJP stronghold on February 9. He was also blessed by Jain muni Acharya Yashovarma Surishwarji Maharaj. The third such initiative was Uddhav’s presence in Goregaon where he interacted with North Indians at a rally. He roundly attacked the BJP, Modi and former governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. “Uddhav is conveying the message that the Shiv Sena under his leadership is changing,” according to one of his close supporters.
The bout of accusations and counter-accusation between the BJP and the NCP over the formation of government in Maharashtra by Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar soon after the 2019 assembly elections has now enveloped NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Though he has washed his hands off the whole affair, the BJP has challenged Pawar to come clean. “Ajit had come to your residence that morning to tell you about taking the oath with Fadnavis. You wanted it done in the interests of a stable government,” a BJP tweet said. The intriguing episode has been reopened by Fadnavis, whose second term as CM lasted just for 80 hours. “Sharad Pawar himself had blessed our coalition,” Fadnavis had revealed to a news channel. “If needed, I shall complete the story at a proper time,” he had indicated. Immediately thereafter, Sharad Pawar expressed displeasure over the ‘disclosures’ by Fadnavis. “I was holding Fadnavis to be a gentleman,” he said in anger but refused to say anything further. Detractors of Pawar point out that even after so much has happened, he continues to refuse to endorse Ajit as the next Maharashtra CM. Of late, Ajit has been attacking the BJP in more and more fierce language. This change in the otherwise cautious leader has been noticed and being discussed in hushed tones in the state.
Nationalist Congress party president Sharad Pawar has alleged that his party leader Anil Deshmukh had been sent an offer to join the BJP to avert jail custody. Pawar said at a public meeting in Wardha that 130 raids were conducted on people close to Deshmukh. “This was unprecedented in the country. Rejecting the BJP’s offer, Deshmukh had said that he would rather spend life in jail than deserting his party. Deshmukh was lodged in custody for repudiating the offer,” Pawar alleged. Corroborating Pawar’s charge, Deshmukh said had he accepted any such offer, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government would have collapsed much earlier. In another allegation, Deshmukh said the much-discussed ‘No.1’ supposed to receive Rs.100 crore per month from dance bar owners in Mumbai was not himself but was then Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. Ridiculing Deshmukh’s claims about the so-called offer, senior Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan said Deshmukh himself had approached the BJP twice before the 2019 election to join. “If he is confident that rejecting this offer was the reason for his internment, he is now free to prove his innocence before court.” Deshmukh was released from jail custody in late December after spending 13 months behind bars. He reached his hometown Nagpur after a gap of 21 months last week. He was given a victor’s welcome by NCP supporters.
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