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In an interesting move, the Tamil Nadu government decided to lend a hand to residents of ‘Madrasi Camp’ in New Delhi, whose unauthorised houses on the bank of the Barapullah drain were demolished by the Delhi Development Authority. An official release said the State government, as directed by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, would help the residents return to their native districts, if they chose to do so. They would be given comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood, through the Collectors, it said.. ‘Madrasi Camp’ is an informal habitation along the bank of the Barapullah Jangpura drain, near Nizamuddin Railway Station in South Delhi. It had 370 slum dwelling units. The settlement was predominantly inhabited by persons of Tamil Nadu origin. The Delhi High Court had noted that ‘Madrasi Camp’ was an “unauthorized construction/encroachment” that had led to the obstruction and blockage of the Barapullah drain, “causing significant waterlogging in the surrounding areas, especially during the monsoon”. It had directed that eligible residents be rehabilitated and relocated under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Act (DUSIB). The DUSIB determined that 215 out of the 370 residents were eligible for allotment of residential units under the economically weaker section category at Narela. On May 9 all petitions filed by the residents were disposed of by the Delhi High Court, which ordered the commencement of demolition at ‘Madrasi Camp’ from June 1.While nearly half of the residents were offered alternate accommodation — most residents didn’t quite warm up to the idea of moving back to TN. At least one resident lamented over the lack of opportunities in TN. “They should give first jobs to those already in Chennai and then they should call us,” was the general refrain.
Some BJP ruled states will witness a change of guard in the coming days starting with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel seeking relief from public service to tend to his ailing son (Short Post reported earlier). Other CMs on the block include Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Odisha although the last incumbent Mohan Charan Majhi was issued the ‘Perform or Perish’ diktat having only recently assumed power. Rajasthan’s deteriorating law and order scenario queered the pitch for Bhajan Lal Sharma, installed at expense of the Rani of Dhaulpur, Vasundhara Raje first placed on probation (as BJP LoP) by PM Narendra Modi, then shrugged off, with state assemblies being fought under Modi’s name. Rice bowl of India, Chhattisgarh’s tribal CM Vishnu Deo Sai is also in cross hair of BJP high command for inability to grow party ideology in erstwhile Congress ruled state and, being invisible unlike his Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand counterparts. To non-corrupt Sai’s credit, he recently introduced anti-conversion law, mobilized anti-naxalite operations. Rajasthan’s Brahmin CM Lal, however, made rounds of New Delhi (thrice in recent weeks), may be replaced by Rajput Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. UP governor (former Gujarat CM) Anandiben Patel held consultations with PM Modi to address her home state CM issue with Union Sports, Youth Affairs Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya’s name being considered. As senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain, however, puts it, “PM Modi listens to all but takes decisions on his own!” While steeped in corruption owing to alliance politics, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis remains the PM’s blue-eyed boy.
The Tata-IPL-18 is nearing its conclusion with the title match to be played between the United Spirits-owned Royal Challengers Bengaluru that paid $ 111.6 mn to acquire the Bengaluru franchise in 2007 and the winner of the Qualifier 2 between five times winner, the Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul. One among the three will be crowned on Wednesday (June 3) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. But the story of this year’s IPL is the rise of a few fantastic batters, bowlers and all rounders which confirms a belief that India can field two Men in Blue teams in the Twenty20 format at least. The tournament began with known culprits set to dominate, but the cricketing fraternity is already talking about budding stars like the Rajasthan Royal’s 14-year old left-hander Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Punjab Kings’ batters Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, and left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, Chennai Super Kings’ batter Ayush Mhatre and fast bowler Anshul Kamboj, Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Aniket Verma, Delhi Capitals’ allrounder Vipraj Nigam and wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel, RCB leg spinner Suyash Sharma and seamer Yash Dayal, Gujarat Titans’ left arm spinner Sai Kishore, Mumbai Indians’ lower order batter Naman Dhir are the new faces who have excelled in their roles. The ongoing season has thrown fresh talents and the national selection committee will have plenty to look at the basket when the time comes to pick the squad for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. The IPL has truly turned out to be a talent feeder for the national team.
In a throwback of sorts to his clash with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee that had marked his didi-oh-didi campaign in the last West Bengal assembly election, incumbent CM made a personal jibe about PM Modi’s estranged wife setting off a vicious cycle of personal attacks. A controversy apparently erupted following PM Modi’s rally in Alipurduar on May 27, where he, without naming Mamata, had sharply criticised her government and the TMC. In response, Mamata at a presser called out Modi’s “politicisation of Operation Sindoor”. She transgressed the political line with a personal jibe: “Remember that every woman has respect. They take sindoor from their husbands… Modiji is talking this way. You are not every woman’s husband… why don’t you give sindoor to your Missus first?” Apparently Mamata attacked Modi on the basis of unfounded media reports that BJP was going to distribute sindoor to women. Later, realising the inappropriateness of her comment, she immediately apologised while blaming Modi for provoking her. “I am sorry to say this. I shouldn’t get into all this. But you are compelling us now to open our mouths.” Instead of accepting Mamata’s apology, BJP’s State unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and LoP Suvendu Adhikari launched a coordinated retaliation that targeted not just Mamata’s alleged personal conduct but also her humble origins and socio-economic background. The situation reached a disturbing climax in Chinsurah, Hooghly, where BJP women workers forcibly applied sindoor on female police officers who were trying to disperse their protest. The incident drew criticism even from within the BJP’s own state unit. The episode highlights how personal attacks and identity politics have increasingly dominated Bengal’s political landscape, with both major parties crossing traditional boundaries of political propriety and raising serious questions about the health of democratic discourse in the state.
The investigation into the flooding that derails Mumbai every monsoon took a Bollywood twist with the entry of actor Dino Morea. Dino and his brother Santino spent two days of long hours of questioning at the Mumbai office of the Economic Offences Wing after being accused of indulging in financial irregularities in the desilting work of the critical Mithi river that runs through the heart of the city, flooding and derailing it every year. While the investigation against flooding in Mumbai against two companies, three brokers, five contractors and three civic officials, are essentially being perceived as attempts to target the Thackeray family that has been ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation uninterruptedly from 2005 to 2022, Dino landed in it thanks to recorded telephonic conversations with middlemen Ketan Kadam. Incidentally, this is not the first case where Dino has landed in legal trouble due to his association with Aaditya Thackeray. He has also been linked earlier in the Disha Salian murder case, chiefly by Nitesh Rane. The Rane’s and Thackeray’s share a turbulent relationship since the exit of family patriarch Narayan Rane’s from the original Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. Since then, they have been known to take potshots regularly at the Thackeray family right through Rane’s journey from Sena to Congress to BJP. Not surprisingly, Nitesh Rane, Maharashtra’s fisheries and port development minister, derisively termed Dino Morea as the daughter-in-law of the Thackeray residence Matoshree. Aaditya countered by pointing out to Dino’s Christmas celebration with prime minister Narendra Modi at his Delhi residence.
The Indian cinema landscape is undergoing a transformative phase, characterized by bold choices and innovative storytelling. Aamir Khan’s decision to release his ambitious film, Sitare Zameen Par on YouTube channels instead of traditional OTT platforms exemplifies this shift. This choice aims to reach a broader audience, tapping into the millions who turn to YouTube for entertainment. By opting for this route, Khan seeks to engage a diverse demographic, ensuring that the film’s poignant themes of childhood, creativity, and the nurturing of talent resonate across various backgrounds. Sitare Zameen Par is set to spark conversations and inspire change in societal perceptions regarding education and artistic expression. Conversely, Sajid Khan’s Housefull 5 takes a different approach within the same industry. Renowned for its comedic flair, the Housefull franchise embraces the absurd and entertaining. This latest instalment promises to innovate further by introducing multiple endings, a groundbreaking concept in Indian cinema. This narrative technique will witness different endings in different Cinema and in fact, different screens as well. Such an approach could redefine audience excitement in the suspense genre in Bollywood, encouraging future filmmakers to explore unconventional storytelling methods. Both films, despite their differing genres, highlight the willingness of Indian filmmakers to experiment and take risks. Aamir Khan focuses on socially relevant themes, while Sajid Khan delivers entertaining escapism, showcasing the diverse storytelling that Indian cinema is embracing. As filmmakers navigate the digital landscape, blending traditional and modern distribution methods will likely become more common. With both Sitare Zameen Par and Housefull 5 exemplifying the coexistence of meaningful narratives and entertaining spectacles, audiences are invited to engage with some experiments as well.
Recently, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (DKS) and home minister Dr G Parameshwara met AICC General Secretaries, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, separately and discussed the recent political developments. According to a highly placed source, during the meeting, DKS insisted that the power sharing agreement should be honoured and Siddaramaiah should demit office after completing his two-and-a-half-year tenure in October 2025. The recent ED raid on educational institutions linked to Parameshwara with regard to the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case also figured in the discussions. It may be recalled that DKS, after meeting Parameshwara soon after the raids, had said the home minister had gifted Ranya Rao Rs 40 lakh. But this statement had not gone down well with several Congress leaders including Dr Parameshwara. Venugopal and Surjewala also met the aspirants for MLC elections, as four seats have been vacant for over seven months. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah showed up at the residence of his bete noire and senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad’s house for breakfast signalling a desire to bury their hatchet. The breakfast meeting, which came a day after Congress general secretaries met with Siddaramaiah and his deputy DKS, raised eyebrows in political circles. It is being said that Siddaramaiah wants Hariprasad to talk to the Congress’ top brass about inducting new ministers. The outreach with Gandhi family loyalist Hariprasad is also seen as Siddaramaiah’s way of trying to be on good terms with ‘original ‘ Congressmen and alienate strong leaders like DKS. Parameshwara’s proximity with the CM is already visible. Apparently, DKS — who is eyeing Siddaramaiah’s chair — is not in favour of a Cabinet reshuffle. The buzz is that DKS wants a new ministry when he becomes the CM.
In 1991, Kerala was declared as the first fully literate state in India. In 2025, another award awaits it, India’s first digitally literate state. According to MB Rajesh, the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) minister, President Droupadi Murmu is expected to make the announcement during her next visit to Kerala. As part of a plan to digitally empower citizens, the LSGD launched — Digi Kerala in 2023. The plan was to identify people in the age group of 14 to 65 years who do not have basic digital knowledge. The survey which covered 1.5 crore people from over 83 lakh families in the state, identified 22 lakh people who were digitally illiterate. According to Rajesh, around 99% of the individuals passed the evaluation after formal training. In 2022, Pullampara, in Thiruvananthapuram, was declared the first fully digital literate panchayat in India. LSGD designed the Digi Kerala initiative taking inspiration from the panchayat’s success. According to the Minister, digital literacy is essential for every citizen in today’s tech driven world and Kerala has been a model state when it comes to literacy. All public delivery services have been digitised and it’s essential for the common man to have digital knowledge to avail all services. The digitally illiterate citizens were identified with the help of mobile applications using services of volunteers from Kudumbashree, a women powered entity, NSS (National Service Scheme), NCC, Library council and state literacy mission. Digital literacy was imparted through modules designed by Kerala Institute of Local Administration.
Kamal Haasan, Ulaga Nayagan (world hero) for his drooling fans turned Ularal Nayagan (Blabbermouth) by his Kannada was born from Tamil comment. The timing of his comment made the film trade nervous. His movie Thug Life is all set to hit cinemas in the South on June 5. Already Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at loggerheads over sharing of Cauvery waters. This misplaced claim could jeopardise the film’s showing in Karnataka, a big market for Tamil films. Legendary director Mani Rathnam was presiding over the razzmatazz promos with his marquee cast on stage when a pap asked Rathnam, “You have teamed up with Kamal after 38 years. Would Thalapathy Rajini also get a film from you after 35 years?” Rathnam, as his wont, did not wade into this “intellectual” research. With great care he said “we have to consider his market, availability and most important a script equal to his magnetism, a long list of conditions”. Such diplomacy and discretion were scattered in the winds when Kamal turned Ularal Nayakan by his declaration that Kannada was the offspring of Tamil. Threats of Thug Life boycott and angry protests erupted just as quickly …but Kamal being Kamal refused to apologise. Kamal who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha with the backing from MK Stalin was perhaps keen to prove his loyalty to Tamil and Stalin, stuck to his stand. Kamal was scorched by critics who alleged that his party MNM was pledged like Panchali in the gamble of the Mahabharat. Thug Life needed just one more embellishment, the cherry on the I scream…K Krishnaswamy, founder of Puthiya Tamizhagam said “The title Thug Life is not acceptable…as Thuggery has a very bad connotation. Why don’t you change the title to a more positive one?
The decision by all seven NCP MLAs in Nagaland to merge with chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will have major repercussions on the political developments in Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has reacted to the development with a stiff upper lip but his ambition to make his NCP faction a ‘recognised’ national-level party will face a setback. As a result of this sudden change, the clout of Pawar in the three-party saffron alliance in the state will be dented. Even otherwise, Ajit has been caught in a tight corner time and again. The latest is the inclusion of senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal in the cabinet. Although Bhujbal’s comeback will please a section of the OBC vote bank, it has adverse implications on the politics in Nasik district, an important belt in north Maharashtra. Followers of Ajit Pawar and another deputy CM Eknath Shinde, have not reacted kindly to Bhujbal’s induction. Similarly, the Maratha lobby in Ajit’s party is upset though there are no public statements. It is no secret that Bhujbal wishes to be appointed guardian minister of Nasik district. However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has remained evasive about any decision so far. His right-hand Girish Mahajan, too, is eyeing the same post. The issue assumes significance against the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela, which takes off in Nasik late next year. The tussle between the two will be watched by both sides, indirectly impacting Ajit’s position either way.
The decision by all seven NCP MLAs in Nagaland to merge with chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will have major repercussions on the political developments in Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has reacted to the development with a stiff upper lip but his ambition to make his NCP faction a ‘recognised’ national-level party will face a setback. As a result of this sudden change, the clout of Pawar in the three-party saffron alliance in the state will be dented. Even otherwise, Ajit has been caught in a tight corner time and again. The latest is the inclusion of senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal in the cabinet. Although Bhujbal’s comeback will please a section of the OBC vote bank, it has adverse implications on the politics in Nasik district, an important belt in north Maharashtra. Followers of Ajit Pawar and another deputy CM Eknath Shinde, have not reacted kindly to Bhujbal’s induction. Similarly, the Maratha lobby in Ajit’s party is upset though there are no public statements. It is no secret that Bhujbal wishes to be appointed guardian minister of Nasik district. However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has remained evasive about any decision so far. His right-hand Girish Mahajan, too, is eyeing the same post. The issue assumes significance against the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela, which takes off in Nasik late next year. The tussle between the two will be watched by both sides, indirectly impacting Ajit’s position either way.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has started following in the footsteps of veteran leader Sharad Pawar, it seems, since it is becoming difficult to predict his next steps. His many statements are such that they can be interpreted in different ways. The latest instance is the fulsome praise he has heaped on Pawar while at the same time indirectly taunting his both deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. In a media interaction, Fadnavis said that Pawar keeps on working even at this age, never bothering about victory or defeat. There won’t be any match to him, the CM said. Replying to a question about his both deputies, Fadnavis remarked that neither was good in communication. But he hurriedly said he was speaking in the lighter vein. The CM’s observation assumes significance against the backdrop of the all-out support of the Modi government by Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, who is heading an all-party MP delegation abroad to propagate India’s stand on Operation Sindoor. At the same time, the more frequent dialogue between Ajit Pawar and his uncle is also sending another set of signals. To top it all, BJP leaders have been declaring at every opportunity that their party will fight the coming local body elections in tandem with Ajit’s NCP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena. One definite angle that is emerging is that the Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is most uncomfortable. It has blamed Fadnavis for this situation.
The all-party delegation led by Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule to propagate India’s stand concerning Operation Sindoor has started on a positive note. Sule has once again emphasized that for her party, the nation is first, the state second, then the party and finally the family. This is considered a message for the Congress party in particular and the crumbling INDIA front in general. Supriya’s father Sharad Pawar has already made it clear that domestic politics should not have any bearing on the nation’s interests, especially in the international arena. He had expressed this opinion to convey to the Shiv Sena (UBT) that he was not on the same page with it as far as Operation Sindoor was concerned. Of late, there have been consistent media reports that Pawar is likely to reach an understanding with his nephew Ajit Pawar in a bid to merge both factions of the NCP, which he founded in 1999. Ajit has split the party and the larger chunk of the organization is behind him. On the other hand, elder Pawar is in constant touch with PM Modi amidst reports that Supriya will be entrusted with a major portfolio in the Union cabinet as and when some pact is sealed between the two sides. Significantly, the NCP(SP) has refrained from making any adverse comments about Operation Sindoor or Modi.
The induction of Chhagan Bhujbal as a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government is viewed as part of the gearing up for the forthcoming local bodies elections slated in the next four months. He becomes the eight member of the Other Backward Class (OBC) community to be part of the 43 ministerial team of the Devendra Fadnavis government. These include four OBC’s from the BJP, three from the NCP and one from the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. Bhujbal’s induction is meant to strengthen the OBC vote bank for the Mahayuti government. His role to woo the OBC vote bank becomes crucial since the Supreme Court ruled that 27% reservation of OBCs be retained in local body elections and his resurgence is also expected to provide a counterweight to the Maratha vote bank that is the mainstay of his faction of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. Despite Bhujbal being left out in the cold since the Mahayuti government came to power in December 2024, he retained his independent identity as an OBC leader, never shying away from taking up the cause of the OBC community. He was among the first in the state to openly call for a Caste Census. From being pushed out of the race to be Nashik’s guardian minister to his current reinstatement as cabinet minister, Bhujbal’s has clearly shown how to play the waiting game and win.
Known as Maharashtra’s cultural capital and fountainhead of many social reform movements, Pune has been shaken over the past few days owing to two daylight incidents of publicly supporting Pakistan and Hamas. More shocking is the fact that the pro-Hamas activity has taken place in Karve Nagar, an elite locality in Pune. When local BJP workers learnt that a group of youngsters was distributing pamphlets in support of Hamas in that area, they rushed to the spot and tried to prevent the effort. There was a free for all and the BJP group has demanded urgent appropriate action against the Hamas backers. The police have assured them that no anti-national activity will be permitted and those breaching social amity will face action. In the other incident, a young girl, said to be an engineering student, has been sent into police custody for posting slogans like Pakistan Zindabad on social media. It is alleged that she recently visited her relatives in Srinagar. After some organisations declared that they would stage a demonstration against her, the police took adequate precautions while producing her in court. In recent months, intermittent news reports have appeared about the objectionable developments in certain Pune pockets. The police have intensified their campaign to identify and arrest illegal immigrants, especially those from Bangladesh. Pune is considered a BJP stronghold and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is its guardian minister. As these incidents took place amidst the height of Operation Sindoor, more follow up actions are anticipated.
Rain or shine, the media in Maharashtra does not tire of reporting about the possible ‘reunion’ of the two powerful families – Pawar and Thackeray. Though there is a surcharged atmosphere across the country from the moment Operation Sindoor has been launched, the pen pushers in the state continue to indulge in speculation, partly fuelled by faceless sources in both factions of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Similarly, ever since deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar walked out of the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) set up by his uncle Sharad Pawar, there is no dearth of the news stories, predicting either their distancing or coming closer. Even the most frivolous clue like “Pawar looked at his nephew and smiled” generates a plethora of ‘exclusive’ reports, patting the channels or newspapers on the back, each claiming to be the first with the story. Thus, breaking news is becoming a matter of ridicule since stories like ‘Fadnavis reaches Mantralaya’ also come under this category. The latest revival of such stories has happened since Uddhav has returned from his vacation in Europe while Raj came back to Mumbai just a few days ago. On the other hand, elder Pawar has said that any decision regarding coming together will be taken by Ajit and daughter Supriya Sule, MP. This is a plain truth but touted as a major political revelation. Leaders like Prakash Ambedkar and Sanjay Raut are readily available day in and day out to add to the grist.
A felicitation of Maharashtra’s former chief ministers organized by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai has become talk of the town for all the political reasons. The ceremony was convened under the banner Glorious Maharashtra and all former CMs of the state were invited. However, senior most among them, Sharad Pawar, did not turn up while DCM Eknath Shinde, too, stayed away, pleading that he had already scheduled other engagements. The absence of the last Congress CM in the state, Prithviraj Chavan, was noticeable. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray is abroad, according to his annual Europe trip routine. Interestingly, CM Devendra Fadnavis attended in both capacities, former and present incumbent. Former Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Narayan Rane, both with the BJP now, were conspicuous by their presence. Fadanvis said he had created a record by remaining CM for the shortest duration, of 72 hours in 2019. The same record was shared by Ajit Pawar, who was his deputy CM then and is now as well. Fadnavis said Ajit has another record to his credit. “He has taken oath as DCM for the maximum number of times,” Fadanvis quipped. He revealed that the teaming up of the BJP and Ajit’s NCP was incepted within those 72 hours. Fadnavis remarked that people in Maharashtra would have been happy had all former CMs attended. His reference is considered to be aimed at Eknath Shinde. More is expected to be heard soon.
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.
Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde currently enjoys a special place at the ruling BJP’s table, thanks to the key role he is scheduled to play in the forthcoming crucial BMC polls for them. A straight victory has evaded the BJP in the Rs 59,000-crore budget civic body till date. Politically too, winning the BMC polls for BJP has become crucial since dislodging Uddhav Thackeray from here would truly deliver a big blow to the Uddhav Thackeray Sena and decimate them. Not surprisingly, Amit Shah held a one-on-one with Eknath Shinde at Mumbai for a good half an hour without his own chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in attendance. Shinde has already got down to the task at hand and has been poaching Uddhav’s key supporters quite regularly. Shinde is using the opportunity to get his way around too. Shinde’s men have started grumbling about budgetary cuts introduced by the finance minister Ajit Pawar that have impacted their ministries. Shinde, who had funded many welfare schemes while as a CM, finds many of his schemes being curtailed, folded up or ignored by the Fadnavis government. His pet scheme, the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, still continues, albeit with many restrictions. Shinde also has Sanjay Raut breathing down his neck, comparing him to a goat with nowhere to go and awaiting his butchering. Unlike the Ajit Pawar’s of NCP, who have warmed up to each other, the Sena factions continue to a collision drive breathing fire and fury against each other.
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.
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.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ return to power has been marred by regular hiccups with him struggling to duck one bouncer after another. Despite enjoying the support of over 82% or 238 MLAs of the total of 288 his second during the last four months has been anything but smooth. He is struggling to strike a balance between his inhouse support base and his ambitious coalition partners, NCP’s Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde. If sources are to be believed, a huge wave of discontent has been simmering within the BJP against Fadnavis, upset with the fruits of power being doled out to new entrants from other parties over the committed party’s old guard. The communal riots in Nagpur over Aurangzeb legacy has also portrayed Fadnavis in a bad light as he holds the home ministry. Fadnavis has been responding to attacks on him by unleashing diversionary vocal volleys resulting in a political slugfest with the political discourse getting muddy and murky. Nitesh Rane, Suresh Dhas may have been the most prominent face, but many non-political players like Anjali Damania, Rahul Solapurkar, Prashant Koratkar too have been actively raking up issues to stoke the political flames. Old graves are literally being dug up to wean away attention from the disturbing ground reality of huge unemployment, of ballooning state debts to Rs 9.2 lakh crores and widening caste frictions. With the crucial Mumbai municipal elections round the corner, it remains to be seen how Fadnavis manages to take on the Opposition against him, both from his own party and outside.
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.
Just fresh from the resignation of a cabinet minister, and despite fissures within the ruling coalition, the Opposition in Maharashtra has failed to seize the opportunity that has presented itself before them. The resignation of Ajit Pawar aide Dhananjay Munde was not the result of any Opposition campaign but rather it was the result of inter-coalition disputes within the ruling alliance coming to the fore. Munde’s resignation was a result of a strong sustained campaign led by the BJP legislator Suresh Dhas meant to undermine the Ajit Pawar camp. The fodder for the accusation, that the irrigation department was being run on the whims of Fadnavis associate Mohit Kambhoj, was also said to be provided by intra-party elements within the BJP. That the Opposition could not even present a united picture during the traditional post-budgetary press conference was telling about the state of the Opposition in Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray addressed it all alone with the Congress missing in action and their senior leaders restricting themselves to issuing statements while Sharad Pawar’s NCP representative Jayant Patil stuck to the TV debates. Uddhav’s decision to go alone in the forthcoming BMC elections, seems to have particularly peeved his coalition partners. Uddhav seems to have lost patience with his alliance partners. In the case of NCP, it seems to be busy dealing with its own internal schism between Rohit Pawar and Jayant Patil that had led to the party yet to declare its leader of legislative party. While Congress seems lost in its internal factionalism with strong leaders refusing to work with the new appointee state party president Harshavardhan Sapkal. Unlike the lacklustre Opposition, the ruling allies, in contrast, are actively working against each other, unsettling the majority Devendra Fadnavis 2.0 government.
BJP MLC Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil’s son Vijayibhav Vishwatjejsinh wed the daughter of UdaySinh Rameshrao Chikli, K Shivanshika at Akluj, Malshiras taluka in Solapur on March 8. While a lakh people attended the holy matrimony to include Maharashtra’s royalty, Rajaharshi Shahu Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje, Maloji Raje Bhonsale (Kolhapur), Nagpur’s Sangram Sinh Raje Bhosale and the Mewad Rajput clan and yet, no BJP leaders showed up. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde missed the do. Maharashtra’s political history reveals 52 years old Ranjitsinh’s own wedding attended by over a lakh plus people and, even his father, former deputy CM Vijaysinh Mohite Patil’s wedding ceremony way back in 1971 witnessed one lakh people in attendance along with politicians from across the political lines. The lakh plus attendance at the three marriage ceremonies was maintained despite being familial affairs and non-political. When former DCM Vijaysinh Mohite Patil tied the knot with Nandini Devi (Mai Saheb) in 1971 criticism emanated over the sheer opulence exhibited when every well in Akluj (a water scarcity hit region) was filled with slabs of ice in every household to ensure free flow of water. Vijaysinh’s father Shankarrao Mohite Patil (Maharashtra’s founding Minister of Cooperation) simply explained, “Every family invitee to my son’s wedding has hosted me earlier and outside whose house I have washed my hands (had a meal). At my own son’s wedding ceremony, I invited each of them.” The Maharashtra minister is also famously cited for organizing free helicopter flights in his hometown for local farmers who he insisted would easily afford flights upon attaining their true potential as agriculturists.
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.
Spiralling upwards, setting the national record, the Maha 2025-2026 budget close to Rs 10 lakh crore may be announced for Maharashtra with an emphasis on capex expenditure (infrastructure building) come Monday. This translates into 50% incremental funding over last year keeping with incremental government spendings registered across BJP ruled states of India. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath just kicked off his Rs 8.08 lakh crore budget without including supplementary demands added during the next fiscal year following up his Rs 7 lakh crore (base) 2024-2025 budget that grew close to Rs 8 lakh crore subsequently. Bihar has announced a Rs 3.70 lakh crore (base) budget. Earlier, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a similar package for the state in her budget speech. Maharashtra’s deputy CM Ajit Pawar will present the Budget on March 10, which is expected to be in sync with PM Narendra Modi’s development template across India, and will bear the signature style of CM Devendra Fadnavis. Critics argue burgeoning debt and increasing fiscal deficit will turn unmanageable but, financial planners will confidently dive into infrastructure spending across Maharashtra, further enhancing creation of economically prosperous infrastructure corridors for high ROI for the state in coming years. For example: The Samruddhi expressway will mushroom economic hubs on either side of the roadway providing necessary impetus to achieve multi-fold target growth albeit, after a few years. Similarly, planned solar energy infrastructure for agriculture aims to convert foodgrain producers into energy providers while installed capacity of the state (currently 45000 MW) will rise to 85,000 MW in five years.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is on mission mode since assuming office and extended his micro-management skills (exhibited in run up to state assemblies) to laser focus the state administration. Rooting out inefficiencies, corruption (as shortpost.in reported on Feb 4) within bureaucracy under his 3.0 tenure, Fadnavis has targeted truant IAS officers (including former BEST GMs Anil Diggikar, Harshdeep Kamble) as also kept on hold recommendations from his own cabinet colleagues for appointing personal secretaries, officers on special duty (OSDs). The CM had cleared 109 out of 125 recommendations received by the CMO. Fadnavis silenced criticism emanating from some ministerial quarters over pending postings while emphatically stating it was his prerogative and decision that was final. Maharashtra’s state secretariat is abuzz about collective political grouping within the Mahayuti alliance upset with the CM putting his foot down against ministerial staff carrying legacy of inefficiency and corruption. Fadnavis is enraged over corruption charges levelled against MMRDA by a French consultant involved in his pet ‘Maha Mumbai Metro’ project, ordering a probe. A political war of words broke out, meanwhile, between alliance counterparts: deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar over one-upmanship for second spot in Maharashtra’s political leadership. Shinde’s averment, “Don’t take me lightly,” found resonance in Pawar’s jibe, “Keep check on public averments as alliance protocol.” Pawar also noted he could overturn the horse-cart. All eyes will be on Maharashtra’s budget that deputy CM Pawar will announce over the next fortnight and implications for Shinde’s party held departments, as the political feud escalates.
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.
BJP’s Delhi win has bolstered its Lok Sabha plan to up the numbers from the earlier 272 target to 289 plus in coming days. Decks are being cleared to usher in three long pending legislations before Parliament to include Uniform Civil Code, Waqf Board reforms and finally the One Nation One Poll (ONOP) political reform. Several MPs from the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) Sena and Sharad Pawar led political formations are keen to enroll with BJP in Maharashtra but, Shiv Sena DCM Eknath Shinde and NCP DCM Ajit Pawar want to embrace them into respective party folds delaying the process. Giant killer of Delhi assembly elections Parvesh Verma (former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma’s son), a Jat leader, also credited with ensuring 12 assembly seat victories in Delhi, is frontrunner for CM’s post. “Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were the first to call, congratulate Verma immediately after his victory. Also, following the Haryana assembly win by BJP, influential Jat leadership was upset for being overlooked for CM’s post. Delhi may install Jat CM to compensate Haryana and build for Punjab and Bihar state assemblies,” a senior BJP leader says. Before the results the candidature of Dushyant Kumar Gautam, a senior BJP national general secretary was being considered as the Dalit CM face for Delhi but, Gautam lost a close fight for Karol Bagh seat to Vishesh Ravi of AAP by just under 8000 votes. Ravi clinched the seat twice before with winning margins exceeding 25000 each time.
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.
Armed with a landslide majority in Maharashtra, the BJP, it is learnt, is now strongly pushing its coalition partners up against the wall. Not only has it launched a strong attack against Ajit Pawar’ party deputy leader Dhananjay Munde but it is keeping Eknath Shinde on the edge too. While the knives have been sharpened against controversial minister Dhananjay Munde demanding his resignation for the alleged involvement of his aide in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Munde and his party have been resisting and fighting it against all odds. While Ajit Pawar may have strongly backed Munde for now, he realises that the BJP may not stop at him and could launch fresh salvo against his other deputies. Hence, Pawar has directed his men to maintain a clean slate and even demanded that freshers be vetted before giving entry in his party. His contemporary, Eknath Shinde too is not having it easy with BJP ministers like Ganesh Naik eyeing his Thane stronghold and launching a worker engagement campaign clearly with an eye on the forthcoming local body polls. While Shinde chose to brush aside concerns, his workers have threatened to do a quid pro quo by launching similar exercises in BJP’s constituencies. Shinde did not attend the cabinet meeting last week, while Munde is believed to have left mid-way. The BJP strategy seems to be to keep the coalition partners constantly on the edge.
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.
Access to Mantralaya, Maharashtra’s state secretariat, is scheduled to get tighter in Devendra Fadnavis regime 2.0. Glass flap barrier gates are being installed at various entrances to control access of visitors along with introduction of RFID and facial recognition access in high-security zones at Mantralaya. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankhule has already written to his party cadres to coordinate with ministers through liaison officials, who will be sitting at the BJP office. The BJP ministers too have also been asked to hold weekly or fortnightly janata durbars at the party office. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party too are expected to follow suit and facilitate a similar policy for their party workers from their party offices. The idea is to reduce footfalls at Mantralaya as also to rein in middle-men, who tend to approach ministers for favours like transfers of officials or to bag contracts. Ajit Pawar has already asked his cadres to not seek transfers of officials or contracts, particularly if they are going to sub-contract the work to others. Maharashtra’s earlier chief minister Eknath Shinde prided on being known as a common man’s CM and believed in open access attracting huge delegations of party workers flocking to him at Mantralaya regularly. The legislative assembly sessions under Shinde were known to be particularly crowded with ministers complaining of not even being able to walk properly in the crowded corridors of Vidhan Bhavan. Since Fadnavis’ taking over, he has first shifted the CM’s public relations officials on the lower fifth floor, already truncating access of journalists to the CM’s office. Looks like Fadnavis has taken a leaf out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s playbook.
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.
Operation 272 MPs was launched with the flight of Opposition MPs scheduled for a BJP landing with ETA in April 2025. Sources say the earlier target 260 BJP MPs (reported by Short Post) from current strength of 241 in the Lok Sabha was rescheduled to higher benchmark following hectic parleys with aspiring Opposition MPs, particularly in Maharashtra, keenly looking for greener pastures. This has seriously dented merger plans of Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar with nephew, Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Uncle Pawar deployed womenfolk in the family to convince Ajit Pawar for a merger while making an overture to PM Modi using his reconciliatory gambit. BJP is rather keen over 2/3 of nine UBT Sena MPs, eight from SP camp jumping ship to join its party without attracting anti-defection laws besides regional party MPs from other states to reach the majority magic figure on its own. Ajit Pawar, who succumbed to emotional blackmail by the womenfolk in December 2019 and broke alliance with BJP bringing down the 76-hour long government back then, is unlikely to do a repeat. Ajit Pawar has also nixed senior party MLA Chhagan Bhujbal’s ministerial aspirations over his extra-party OBC activities. Bhujbal’s gambit to use the good offices of CM Devendra Fadnavis also came to naught with the Maha Chanakya CM politely asking him to sort out his problems with Ajit Pawar himself. The so-called NaNi (Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar) factor was always a non-starter sans JD(S) Union Ministers quitting their posts in an election year leaving RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav red-faced and worried about own political future in Bihar just like Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra.
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.
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.
Even as the dust is settling over the internecine acrimony about the allocation of portfolios in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, a new wave of one-upmanship has erupted about the appointment of guardian ministers. As there are more than two or three claimants to grab the powerful position, the competition is intense. Moreover, as there are 36 districts in Maharashtra while the number of ministers is 41, it is obvious that some of them will be ejected out of the race. Another major issue of contention is the guardianship of Pune and Thane districts, which are politically very important for every party. In Pune, deputy CM Ajit Pawar was the guardian minister under the government of Eknath Shinde till recently. Now, the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde) feel it is their turn to occupy the position. Similarly, in Thane, deputy CM Shinde wishes to become the district guardian minister. However, the BJP is keen to obtain the turn this time. Senior BJP minister Ganesh Naik and Shinde have been at loggerheads for long and the tussle between the two seems unavoidable. In neighbouring Raigad district, NCP(Ajit) boss Sunil Tatkare’s daughter Aditi is trying to retain the responsibility though Shinde’s supporter Bharat Gogawale is determined to wrest it from her. Sambhaji Nagar, another sensitive district, is claimed by Shinde’s soldier Sanjay Shirsat while BJP’s powerful minister Atul Save, too, is considered a strong claimant. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is now busy untangling the rider.
Controversial minister Dhananjay Munde is now facing public ire over the murder of Massajog village sarpanch, Santosh Deshmukh, last week in Beed district. Allegations abound regarding Munde’s close associate Walmik Karad being the mastermind of the gruesome broad daylight killing in Beed district, the fiefdom of the Munde clan for several years. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a judicial inquiry into the shocking incident and has replaced the district police chief. However, as this could not pacify the local people, deputy CM Ajit Pawar visited the village immediately after the legislature’s winter session was over as Munde is one of his staunch supporters in the NCP. Pawar was greeted with demands to remove Munde from the council of ministers. The situation has a caste angle as the deceased Deshmukh was a Maratha while Munde and Karad belong to the Vanjari community, a prominent OBC section. Pawar now has been asked by a Maratha delegation to forthwith remove Munde from the cabinet. A memorandum submitted to Pawar has levelled serious allegations against Munde. When Pawar reached Beed to interact with the Deshmukh family, he promised the bereaved that no guilty would be spared. However, the villagers were angry since Ajit Pawar did not meet them. Munde’s absence from the legislature for the last three days and the refusal of his cousin Pankaja to comment on the incident, too, have added to the gravity of the situation. Munde is expected to come out with his version so#WalmikKarad
The Thursday (Dec 19) visit of BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLAs to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur has become a hot political topic though there are other reasons, too, for intense politicking. Firstly, the MLAs belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar did not join the event. Secondly, those disgruntled due to their non-inclusion in the council of ministers have started expressing their anger openly. Like earlier two occasions, Ajit Pawar and most of his followers distanced themselves from the visit organized by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The presence of former CM Eknath Shinde and his MLAs proved to be another highlight. However, the discontent brewing within Mahayuti on other counts is now becoming more vocal. Political heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal was the first to articulate it. His open criticism of Ajit Pawar surprised many since he had stayed by the side of Pawar all through. Now, there are reports that some of Bhujbal’s supporters want him to join the BJP to end his political wilderness. So far, Bhujbal has maintained that he is with the NCP (Ajit). The other notable leader to become the subject of political speculation is the legislative council’s deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe. Her detractors, mainly the recent Sena (UBT) entrant Sushama Andhare, have started hinting at Gorhe’s plans to go with the BJP. Gorhe, too, has not reacted to the talk. Ajit’s sudden disappearance for two days from the winter session only added grist to the grapevine. His explanation that he was down with a throat infection is hardly swallowed. More murmurs are expected to be heard once Fadnavis announces the allocation of the portfolios.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) , under siege from Sharad Pawar and UBT MPs, MLAs and Opposition political formations across India, is set to increase its numbers in Lok Sabha from 240 to 260 odd soon ending its need for outside support in Parliament for much longer. BJP’s senior functionary told shortpost.in, “Not only Maharashtra (UBT and Sharad Pawar’s party), but also from Congress in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and even south India MPs are doing office rounds of BJP’s senior leadership. Like Maharashtra, they desire to become deserving partners within NDA’s fold.” Meanwhile, Maharashtra politics witnesses a turnaround of BJP’s political gambit that groomed Shiv Sena (DCM) Eknath Shinde as CM for nearly 2.5 years, empowered him to consolidate leadership of Shiv Sena party, unleash slew of development projects in state. Hereon, BJP’s emphasis will be upon Ajit Pawar as politics will revolve around whether the Congress is able to counter him in Western Maharashtra, Marathwada regions of the state. Pawar will be groomed, empowered since he holds no political animosity towards BJP and is keenly interested in big ticket infrastructure projects while possessing requisite political calibre, ability to perform well while keeping Congress in check. While uncle Pawar effectively controlled Congress’ politics based out of Maharashtra, nephew Ajit has no such pre-occupations. Praful Patel will sync in as Union Minister with industry related portfolio, not Sunetra Pawar, while Union government portfolios are up for grabs by newbie incumbent MPs into BJP that seeks to up its own tally. With the senior Pawar set to be 90 before next Maha elections are due, vacant Union portfolios are proving difficult to ignore for his own flock and several more.
The swearing-in ceremony of the council of ministers of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held in Nagpur on Sunday (Dec 15) will be remembered for various interesting features. While such a ceremony has taken place in the second capital of Maharashtra after a gap of 33 years, the focal point of that time, Chhagan Bhujbal in 1991, was conspicuous by his absence since his name was not in the list of the ministers of the second Mahayuti government. Similarly, prominent names like Sudhir Mungantiwar of the BJP and Dilip Walse Patil of the NCP (Ajit) were found missing though Walse, the former assembly speaker, was seen in the front row of the invitees. As announced by deputy CM Ajit Pawar, the term of all the ministers will be of two and a half years. Each has signed an undertaking accepting the condition. This, too, has happened for the first time. The rationale behind the stipulation is that since there are many hopefuls to become minister, some of the present will be asked to work for the organisation so that certain new faces can be accommodate at that future date. Barring a minister or two, all of them took oath in the name of God. Senior minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha was the lone inductee to take oath in Sanskrit. The Fadnavis team has four women, a sort of record since the outgoing government had only Aditi Tatkare, as a minister of state. Hence, the much talked-about ‘Laadki Bahin’ Scheme had been identified with her, making her victory in the assembly election easier.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar has once again monopolised the centre stage following reports that a top leader of his party has held talks with a prominent BJP Union minister in Delhi. The political grapevine is buzzing with different versions since the meeting is believed to have occurred at industrialist Gautam Adani’s Delhi residence. In fact, Pawar started hitting the headlines on Thursday (Dec 12) morning as the news that his nephew Ajit Pawar and a couple of other NCP (Ajit) leaders had reached the patriarch’s residence. Ajit later said that being a family member, he had greeted his uncle on his birthday and nothing unusual should be read in the visit. Ajit was accompanied by Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, both very close to Sharad Pawar till the recent split in the NCP. The name of Adani added grist to the gossip since the industrialist had visited Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis just a couple of days ago in Mumbai. The Adani group continues to BE target of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray. In the past too, Adani has been meeting Pawar off and on. The presence of Fadnavis in Delhi on Thursday proved to be another trigger to speculate that the political scene of Maharashtra was likely to undergo another overhaul. Pawar’s hot and cold relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always remained an intrigue. Hence, his followers are unable to predict which way he can turn.
After having successfully decimated the opposition and weakened its allies, the BJP now seems strongly focussed on its target to achieve Shat Pratishat Bhajapa or cent per cent BJP rule in Maharashtra by 2029. Not content at this, there is buzz of Operation Lotus at work to poach Opposition MP’s to strengthen BJP’s government at the Centre. After successfully splitting and routing the opposition enough to be ineligible to get their own leader in the state assembly, the BJP’s own allies are now feeling the pressure to chart their own course in state. For starters, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already taken things into his own hands, including that of determining ministerial allocations of his alliance partners. Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde have been asked to share the names of their nominees with Shah to get his clearances for the same. Shah has rejected ministerial berths of two of Shinde’s nominees. The delay in distribution of ministries and portfolios in Maharashtra has been attributed to Shah personally overseeing all such decisions of the new government. Though Shinde has been putting up a tough fight to get good portfolios for himself and his party members, his body language continues to be that of a dejected soldier. The image of a sulking Shinde right next to a beaming Shah and Devendra Fadnavis is a symbolic picture of him not getting his way around and under duress in the BJP term. The second alliance partner, Ajit Pawar though seems happy enough for now, content at having trounced his uncle in his own backyard, to bag his party and legacy. It’s anybody’s guess if these alliance partners will be retained or tamed or simply engulfed in toto en route to the next state elections in 2029.
In a significant move, Sunetra Pawar, a first term MP of Rajya Sabha and wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP supremo Ajit Pawar has been allotted 11 Janpath as her official residence. With this allotment of Lutyens bungalow for the Sunetra Pawar, it can be said the extended Pawar family will be all sort of staying in the same neighbourhood. Family patriarch and former defence minister Sharad Pawar has been living in 6 Janpath since June 2004. His daughter Baramati MP Supriya Sule, as per Lok Sabha records, is also shown as sharing residence with her father. Janpath has always been a famous address because bungalow No 10 has been occupied by the Gandhis since the time of Rajiv Gandhi when he was out of power. It was allotted to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 1991. Besides 10 Janpath, its immediate neighbour 12 Janpath has always been occupied by an important leader. First it was Ram Vilas Paswan who occupied the bungalow from1990 until his death in 2020. The bungalow has now been allotted to former President Ramnath Kovind. Besides her own Pawar family in the neighbourhood and famous people, Sunetra will also find home of another endearing Maharashtrian close by in 2 Motilal Nehru Marg – Nitin Gadkari, Union Road Transport & Highways Minister. BJP sources said the allotment of a bungalow to the NCP MP should also be seen as the kind of importance the party is giving to its Maharashtra ally. The NCP has been keen to expand its footprints across north India and it is being facilitated to do so.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar has raised a question mark over the assembly election outcome in Maharashtra but has desisted from making any direct allegations against the EVMs or the Election Commission. Pawar’s observation has come against the backdrop of his visit to Markadwadi in Solapur district. Some of the villagers had organised a paper ballot polling in the village to protest against the EC’s declared voting figures. However, the move was abandoned after the government banned any such attempt. Pawar visited the village to articulate the people’s right to express discontent against the government since cases have been filed against around 200 villagers in connection with the protest. About the assembly results, Pawar said his party candidates had received 72 lakh votes but could win only 10 seats. On the other hand, the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar had recorded 58 lakh votes but it won 41 seats. A party getting 80 lakh votes has just 15 winners while the other party gaining 79 lakh votes has 57 successful candidates, Pawar pointed out. However, he said although the outcome was surprising, it would not be proper to comment about the EVMs until there was a solid basis. Pawar also expressed his misgivings by stating that opposition parties were winning smaller states while bigger states were won by the BJP. Still, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has decided to face the coming local body election together, Pawar reiterated. His refusal to join the anti-EVM chorus triggered by the Congress party is being interpreted differently by the other two MVA partners, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress.
The auspicious day December 5, 2024, was scheduled by BJP for the swearing in function of Maharashtra’s next chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, without awaiting erstwhile Shiv Sena CM Eknath Shinde’s decision to enjoin with the government. Meanwhile, consternation is brewing in New Delhi over Shinde’s recalcitrance to formally announce his party’s stand like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Ajit Pawar has done. Friday (Nov 29) night’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was marked by Shinde making a solo appearance even as Pawar was flanked by Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and three four other party colleagues. Shinde’s apparent reluctance to enjoin formally has not gone down well with the BJP leadership despite his family doctor announcing that Shinde was under the weather set to improve over two days of medical treatment. The first discord before the new government is formed relates to Shinde’s insistence upon being accorded the same status as erstwhile DCM Fadnavis who enjoyed full control over the Home department. This fell foul of the BJP template of always holding crucial portfolios to include Home, Rural Development, Revenue and even Finance as a thumb rule. This equation was altered only to accommodate Ajit Pawar who was handed over the Finance department. Highly placed sources indicate that Shinde may be contemplating offering outside support to the BJP led government.
There seems to be no end to turbulent times in Maharashtra’s politics despite the people voting in the Mahayuti alliance with a thumping majority. Despite the landslide victory, thanks to cracks developed, the next few years promise some unpredictable times thanks to the BJP misjudging the nature of Eknath Shinde. Three years back when the BJP catapulted Shinde to the top job in state, he was expected to work in the background like he had always done in the united Shiv Sena. His ascendance as CM saw him assume a larger than life image thanks to his penchant to meeting people day and night right till the crack of dawn. His generosity in doling out public funds to the public, has reaped in historical and record breaking results. The BJP is discovering the hard way that Shinde is no pushover and they are having a tough time handling him. From demanding the CM’s seat promised to him to refusing to play deputy to his erstwhile deputy Devendra Fadnavis to insisting on having the powerful home portfolio, Shinde is a tough nut to crack despite Ajit Pawar’s tame surrender giving the BJP a strong upper hand on the negotiating table. A sulking Shinde would validate the BJP’s use and throw policy. Not something they want at a time when it needs him to decimate Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena in their Mumbai bastion. Shinde’s reluctance to play second fiddle to Fadnavis or any fresh CM’s face doesn’t promise a smooth term here on, in the state.
NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who arrived in Delhi, a day ahead of outgoing CM and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, to meet with PM Modi and HM Amit Shah to discuss issues of Maharashtra government formation was a picture of cool player. The national media, which always treated his uncle Sharad Pawar with deference for his capacity to take on leaders in Delhi, now viewed Ajitdada in awe. How did he establish his supremacy in the Baramati assembly seat, vanquish his cousin Yugendra Pawar backed by his veteran uncle? Ajitdada patiently tackled every query, every doubt in a free-wheeling chat. With Praful Patel , who played host, adding very interesting inputs. However, the secret of NCP’s phenomenal showing in Baramati and in rest of Western Maharashtra seems to lie in the kind of effort put in by Ajitdada’s own family — his gracious wife Sunetra, now a Rajya Sabha MP, and son Parth. Sunetra, who has always managed her husband’s elections, says she had gone “house to house” seeking votes. And it is her quiet voter outreach that seems to have finally paid off. Parth is every chip of the old block; in the sense he is more like family patriarch Sharad Pawar. He is more ambitious for the NCP and vows to travel across India as he wants the party to expand beyond Maharashtra. He is in no hurry to become a MP or MLA. He asserts at least 2 to 3 Cong MLAs are already in touch with him to join the NCP. Naresh Arora of Design Box, who advised the NCP in Maha polls, is likely to have a say in the party’s expansion too.
The “Mahayuti” NDA government being installed in Maharashtra will register PM Narendra Modi’s emphasis upon fresh faces with mission Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in January also prioritized. Devendra Fadnavis handled seat sharing talks independently of BJP high command for general elections to 48 Maharashtra parliamentary seats and then 288 assembly constituencies, facing no competition for CM post though no Monday morning swearing in is scheduled either while partymen were advised to maintain radio silence on the subject. Erstwhile Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde’s men gloss over popular Ladki Bahin Scheme reiterating his repeat candidature even as NCP chief Ajit Pawar rues his vociferous opposition to batenge toh katenge theme launched by BJP to counter ‘Vote Jihad’. Even after a record Maharashtra victory BJP cites 34 MVA MLAs elected through ‘Vote Jihad’ to include Mankhurd, Byculla, Mumbadevi, Dharavi, Versova, Bandra (east), Kurla, Anushakti Nagar, Malad (west), Chandivalli, Sion Koliwada, Kalina, Mahim, Malwani, Malegaon assembly segments. Matoshree now worries over the UBT motley crew of MPs taking flight. PM Modi on Saturday ticked his ‘To Do’ box created in 2019 for decimating the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar led political formations from Maharashtra after Matoshree’s alliance jilt and Pawar’s retirement jibe. The Thackeray legacy lies politically squandered over secular ties and now, even cousin Raj’s MNS political future stands jeopardized though MLA aspirant son Amit will likely find MLC accommodation. BJP’s Pankaja Munde, Ashok Chavan may rue their opposition to party tagline. Eventually Modi’s nuanced poll theme Ek Rahenge To Safe Rahenge inspired by old English adage, “United we stand, divided we fall” won Maharashtra’s political bout. So, what was the brouhaha all about?
The absence of Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other senior NCP leaders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally at Chhatrapati Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai on November 14 strengthened speculation that NCP could possibly be an unreliable link in Mahayuti. This notwithstanding the fact that the deputy CM had attended a Modi rally in Pune barely two days earlier. Ajit Pawar’s party is a crucial partner in the ruling alliance, alongside Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the BJP. But then NCP candidates Sana Malik, Nawab Malik, and Zeeshan Siddique were also notably absent from the event, which featured leaders from the Shinde Sena and the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Ramdas Athawale. While the rally was meant to highlight the coalition’s solidarity, reports suggest that NCP leaders are upset over the BJP’s batenge toh katenge campaign. BJP sources said despite Ajit Pawar’s unease with the BJP’s aggressive Hindutva agenda, it is likely that he will stay on the side “which benefits him”. That is he could walk to any side which will make him the CM or as Nawab Malik told Times Now “Ajit Pawar will be king maker”. BJP sources said UP CM Yogi who coined the slogan has been much in demand among party candidates. “We have been forced to cancel meetings of top leaders to accommodate Yogiji”, said a party manager. As for contrary assertions by Ashok Chavan and Pankaja Munde on batenge toh katenge, these are being viewed more as a desire to project themselves than pose any serious ideological counter to the main party discourse.
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has raised apprehensions about his future moves, once again. Over the past few days, Ajit has betrayed his ambivalence about the way campaigning is proceeding in Maharashtra. While this is being commented upon, his absence at the final rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on November 14 has been noted with concern within the ruling Mahayuti. Neither Ajit nor any of his NCP’s candidates turned up for the PM’s rally organised by chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the BJP. As Ajit failed to appear on the dais, the media attention has focussed on his possible calculations after the assembly poll results are out on 23 November. Already, he has rubbed Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis the wrong way by objecting to UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s slogan batenge toh katenge. Ajit had observed that such slogans will not work in Maharashtra, whose culture was different from that of UP. Ajit’s insistence on fielding former minister Nawab Malik from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency in Mumbai despite the BJP’s open objections had created some strain within the Mahayuti. Now, Malik has told the saffron formation that Ajit’s NCP will not be a part of the next government if Yuti’s campaign strategy is not changed. Ajit’s another confidant, Dilip Walse Patil had said a few days ago that some fresh combination can occur after the election. Ajit has not refuted neither statement. Hence, he is under close observation by the other two partners of Mahayuti.
The ruling Mahayuti (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP) and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (Cong-Shiv Sena(UBT)-NCP(SP) have decided to keep both former chief ministers in Maharashtra on hold as a cautionary strategy, indicating that they will open their cards at an opportune time. Both hopefuls, Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray, also have adopted a similar stance though Uddhav had earlier tried to prevail upon the Congress and senior leader Sharad Pawar to project him as the next CM. However, both MVA partners had refused to concede. Now, Pawar has announced that his party will support the leader chosen by the largest of the three parties after the assembly election. According to available statistics, the Congress party is contesting the largest number of seats, 102, leaving 96 for the Shiv Sena under Uddhav and 87 for the NCP led by Pawar. In the Lok Sabha, the Congress strike rate was the most impressive. Hence, the Congress has always maintained its claim as the eldest brother in the MVA formation. Similarly, Fadnavis has been lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah over the past two days. Despite this, Shah has declared that a decision about the next Maharashtra CM will be taken after the outcome is declared. The BJP is contesting 152 seats in the 288 member assembly and over a dozen of its leaders are contesting on behalf of the Sena (Shinde) or NCP (Ajit Pawar). Therefore, its prospects are considered better this time, after the Lok Sabha drubbing.
Broad hints of post-election realignments have raised fears that the new Maharashtra government formation will be a long drawn complicated one. Rapprochement vibes are already being noticed from both sides of the Pawar family. While Ajit Pawar swung into action to berate an indignant remark against his uncle Sharad Pawar, his confidants like Dilip Walse Patil and Nawab Malik have been dropping hints that their legislators could swing any ways post-results. The Sharad Pawar faction too seems to have thawed relations and preparing ground for readjustments attributing their partymen exits and party split to ED threats. While Supriya Sule has already stated that there is no familial rift with Ajit Pawar, Nawab Malik has been saying that Ajit Pawar’s support will be critical for any combination that seeks to form the next government. Amit Shah throwing in his weight behind Devendra Fadnavis, at this juncture marks the BJP’s need to consolidate its own vote share in the run up to a fractured verdict. Political scientists like Prof Suhas Palshikar have predicted that a large number of independent legislators could win this time around, adding to post-election instability. Since most of these MLA’s winning on the basis of local caste equations will have weak party affiliations, it makes them susceptible to swing in any direction. Drawing parallels to Maharashtra’s ‘moment of fragmentation’ in 1995 when over 30 plus rebels won elections, Palshikar feels the poll results are unlikely to settle the dust from a scenario emerging from splits, factions, new parties and fronts thus ensuring victory for those who can command less than a lakh votes.
Firebrand politician Chhagan Bhujbal has rejected the statements attributed to him by journalist Rajdeep Sardesai in his latest book, 2024: The Election That Surprised India by threatening to initiate legal action. According to the book extracts published by Marathi daily Loksatta, Bhujbal had conceded that he, along with many other MLAs, had gone with the BJP in 2022 to extricate himself from the clutches of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to the published version in the daily, Bhujbal said, “All were happy for aligning with the BJP since the ED’s harassment had ended.” Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and some prominent leaders of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were on the ED radar at the time. There have been persistent allegations that the cases against them are not pursued ever since they decided to join the Mahayuti government in the state. Bhjujbal pointed out that most of 54 MLAs belonging to Sharad Pawar’s NCP had followed Ajit out of the party though ED cases were against only a few. Secondly, he was acquitted from the Maharashtra Sadan matter when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister. Finally, he decided to go with Ajit in the interest of development. “My assembly constituency has been sanctioned Rs 2000 crore worth development works,” he claimed. The Loksatta version had said that Bhujbal opted for this course since he was scared of going back into ED custody at the age of 75. “I made no such statement,” Bhujbal has insisted.
The age-old trick of misrepresenting by displaying a similar name is rampant this time as well in the Maharashtra assembly electioneering. This charade had played havoc for some prominent leaders in the past. For instance, NCP (Ajit) leader Sunil Tatkare lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Raigad by a mere 2100 votes since another namesake, also Sunil Tatkare, polled over 9000 votes. Influential Congress leader and former chief minister AR Antulay, too, lost from Raigad in the past since another AR Antulay received more than 21000 votes. This time, such instances are quite a few in the district. In Panvel assembly constituency, there are three candidates with the same name, Balaram Patil and also three Prashant Thakur contestants. While the real Patil is in the fray for the Shiv Sena (UBT), sitting BJP MLA Thakur is testing his luck for a second time. Karjat’s present MLA Mahendra Thorve of the Sena (Shinde) has to take on an adversary of the same name. In Alibaug, Sena (Shinde) nominee Mahendra Dalvi is engaged in a battle with three more Mahendra Dalvi names. Moreover, an independent candidate in the constituency, Dilip Bhoir, is facing another opponent of the same name. The district was in the news in 2004 for the first time when Peasants and Workers Party leader Meenakshi Patil was poised against seven independents bearing the same name. Eventually, the PWP bagged the seat, but only after a bitter fight. How many of these aspirants remain in the ring will be clear only on 4 November, the last day for withdrawal.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” said Shakespeare. With due modification, sugar barons in Maharashtra have proved that whatever political party they may belong to, sugar is sweet for them and their peers. This is because many prominent candidates for the state assembly election own or control sugar cooperative or private sugar factories. If not themselves, their family members find a place in the lists declared so far. Expectedly, NCP president Ajit Pawar heads the list while his bete noire Jayant Patil of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) is also among the top five. Pawar’s grandson Rohit Pawar, a bitter critic of uncle Ajit, also figures in the roll. BJP’s Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who has travelled to the saffron party via the Congress and the unified Shiv Sena, continues to be counted among the most powerful sugar barons for decades. The latest turncoat Harshvarrdhan Patil, now blessed by the NCP (SP) is another name. State Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, described as a dark horse, is indispensable for any such listing. Chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis or former CM Uddhav Thackeray don’t have any sugar connection directly though some of their close followers do have an interest in the sector. Shinde’s confidant Tanaji Sawant, public health minister, is among them. BJP’s Abhimanyu Pawar, once a private secretary to Fadnavis, finds a place as well. These are only a few examples. In unison, they have proved the dictum that sugar is a great sweetener which binds those holding the reins of power in Maharashtra.
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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.