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Nothing has stunned Tamil Nadu political circles more than chief minister Joseph Vijay’s grand gesture of a political outreach on May 11 afternoon. Yes, on the first day of the new Tamil Nadu assembly session, Vijay did the unthinkable, reached out to his political rivals across the political aisle. Beginning with his predecessor and DMK supremo M K Stalin, on whom he called at his Alwarpet residence, Vijay reached out to nearly everyone on the broader spectrum of Dravidian parties. For once Vijay seemed – as if he was either God’s good man or at least a man without any guile. In doing so, Vijay was quite clearly following the great traditions of Tamil Nadu political tradition that was followed by veteran Congress leaders such as Rajaji and Kamaraj. Such leaders were known to maintain good relations with DMK patriarch C N Annadurai. Apparently, relations between the ruling and the Opposition side turned for the worse only when MGR who led the AIADMK came to power in the 70s. MGR and Karunanidhi of the DMK could never see eye to eye. DMK could never come to power when J Jayalalithaa led the AIADMK. Political analysts believe Vijay is being well-advised to change political tradition and follow the path taken by Kamaraj. In many ways Vijay seems to be taking a cue from PM Modi. After vanquishing Congress, Modi in 2014 had called on Dr Manmohan Singh. Interestingly, Udhayanidhi, who ignored CM Vijay in the assembly, more than made up by warmly receiving him at his house when he came to meet his father Stalin. Vijay also called on MDMK stalwart Vaiko and PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss. Ramadoss’s wife Sowmya is an MLA. Vaiko hailed Vijay’s gesture as a “healthy tradition”. With the Speaker’s election set for May 12, it remains to be seen if Vijay’s grand gesture helps the TVK government come out with flying colour in its first test.
The recent BJP win in West Bengal must be music to the ear of the Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The end of 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee’s TMC government means the end of perpetual potato shortage crises in Odisha and prices getting stabilised. Political observers say Odisha-Bengal re-alignment also means settling border disputes and help build coastal belt development in Eastern India and also bring out a comprehensive plan to further develop an interstate trade as well. The most significant point emerging now is the potential of new BJP government in West Bengal to address the misuse of Lord Jagannath name. The controversy was generated by Mamata Banerjee’s TMC government by erecting Lord Jagannath Temple in Digha, West Bengal. This saw the influx of Bengali tourists to Odisha drastically falling. The rumour is the new BJP Bengal headed by Suvendu Adhikari may consider modifying the nomenclature of the Digha temple suitably by removing the name Dham. With a BJP government in Bengal many in Odisha believe the long-standing Puri Temple name and logo controversy between Odisha and West Bengal would finally see a solution soon.
Sangram Mohanty
Even before he was sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister, C Joseph Vijay did the unexpected. He landed up at the venue nearly an hour before the oath-taking ceremony. He was perhaps determined to shatter myths that film stars are not punctual. Interestingly, he dropped his trademark white shirt paired with grey trousers— a sartorial idea he had picked up from his close friend and ex-Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and opted for black suit with crisp white shirt. It is not clear if Vijay was advised by a designer or as it is being said these days, he only listens to his astrologer who has a big influence on him. Like it was on his astrologer’s advice Vijay has been greeting everybody with yellow shawls – TN Governor Rajendra Arlekar to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In his speech after oath-taking ceremony CM Vijay, who enjoys a great bond with Rahul, warmly referred to the Congress leader as “my brother”. He also referred to Rahul’s close aide, Praveen Chakravarty “as my personal friend”. One of the toughest messages of CM Vijay was that he would reach out to anybody—meaning seek Centre’s help — to serve the state’s interest. Shocked by gaping holes in TN’s fiscal management when officials initially briefed him, Vijay is having nightmares about how to implement his poll sops. It is for this reason that as soon as he was sworn-in Vijay made it clear that he would first bring out a white paper on the state’s financial status. DMK has not taken kindly to this swipe. One of the moving images of the swearing in was the picture of Vijay’s parents –filmmaker S Chandrashekhar and singer Shoba Chandrashekhar. Vijay is close to his mother who is a Hindu Mudaliar. He had built a Saibaba temple in Chennai in 2024 for his mother.
Political uncertainty that prevailed in Tamil Nadu over the last few days ended on May 9 evening with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay calling on Governor Rajendra Arlekar and staking claim to form the government with the support of 120 MLAs-elect in the 234-member House. This meeting resulted in the Governor okaying his swearing-in on May 10 at 10 am at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. It was Vijay’s 4th meeting with the Governor spread over four days. The TVK chief met the Governor only after the VCK and IUML extended unconditional support to TVK. Could these former DMK allies not have extended support right at the beginning? Who was holding them back? Did the DMK first family deliberately delay the formation of Vijay’s government? It is quite an irony that Vijay who raved and ranted against – thiya shakti or evil forces of the DMK — has now become a puppet of the Stalin family. Udhayanidhi Stalin, it is being said, had opposed lending help to Vijay; he fears Vijay opening files against him after becoming CM. Only former chief minister M K Stalin and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi K batted for democratic support to TVK. Though all DMK allies have technically extended unconditional support, it is possible Vijay will find his hands tied. Left Parties have been told to protest any action against the Stalins. Which in a way means Vijay’s mandate will eventually be subverted by these do-gooders! They will ensure Vijay becomes a puppet in the hand of DMK. Meanwhile, in a post, M K Stalin noted how the Congress did not care to visit Arivalyam and had rushed to sever ties with DMK. Other allies like the Left Parties and the VCK had at least thanked the DMK for its support.
Known for his penchant for making statements on any subject under the sun, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut added another feather to his cap himself. Raut has achieved this glory by writing an open letter to the U.S. President Donald Trump to take exception to the congratulatory message POTUS has sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly election. Within minutes, Raut became a troll victim. The BJP called him a joker. Several social media posts castigated Raut, with one saying, “If leaders like Sanjay Raut are writing letters to Donald Trump, then rest assured something good has happened in Bengal.” A post recalled Raut’s past, saying “He is an MP who is an accused in a scam. Raut was in jail in this connection and he is still not exonerated.” Raut has asked the Most Powerful Leader on Earth to stay out of India’s internal matters. In a flowery language message, Raut has also appealed to Trump to “emphasise democratic values” instead of celebrating the WB result. In his post on ‘X,’ the MP said he was responding to the U.S. President’s best wishes to Modi following the BJP’s win in West Bengal. He also reminded Trump that “These are state-level elections — an internal matter of India’s federal democracy.”
The Maharashtra power sharing formula will have a deep impact on West Bengal’s cabinet formation, to be headed by firebrand Suvendu Adhikari. Hence, the West Bengal council of ministers can have two deputy chief ministers and one of them could be a woman, like in Maharashtra. Headed by hard core RSS worker Devendra Fadnavis, the two DCMs are from the Shiv Sena (Shinde) and the NCP (Ajit). On the other hand, as the BJP does not need the involvement of any other party in WB to form government, two of its prominent MLAs are likely to be inducted as DCMs. Given the bleak reputation of the Mamata government as far as atrocities against women are concerned, the BJP will try to send out a message by appointing a woman deputy CM that it will implement pro-women policies more intensely. A decision in this regard will be known only after Adhikari is formally elected leader of the legislature party. The second West Bengal deputy CM, significantly, will be an ardent RSS activist. As several advisors have pointed out that Adhikari has risen from TMC cadres, the Sangh Parivar will make it a point to reward one of its veteran members with the other deputy CM slot. However, Adhikari has become a darling of the RSS bigwigs since the second in command under Mamata once, he has trounced her twice in her own backyard and hence is a formidable figure in the national Hindutva spectrum. Just like Himant Biswa Sarma of Assam, another late entrant in the BJP. The coming WB government will also emulate Maharashtra for inviting and housing industrial investment as well as in the infrastructure development sector.
In spite of a clear mandate in Keralam, the Congress has not been able to finalise its CM candidate. It seems to be a problem of plenty where the Congress leadership is struggling with how to impose its choice – K C Venugopal. There was so much distrust between the MLAs and AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmushi that many legislators did not want to air their views about the CM choice in her presence as they feared she would snitch about their preferences to Venugopal. They were not even willing to speak to AICC observers in her presence. In these circumstances, Rahul Gandhi with no genuine feedback may feel free to thrust his closest aide, Venugopal, to become the CM. The UDF won 102 seats in the recently held Kerala assembly elections. The Congress emerged as the single largest party, with 63 seats. Other than Congress, the alliance includes the Indian Union Muslim League, the Kerala Congress (Jacob), the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India, the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithy and others. Rahul is said to have finalised two names. One is Venugopal, the Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha and also the general secretary of the Congress (for organisation). He has the backing of over 40 MLAs. Venugopal belongs to the Nair community, so do the other 2 contenders—Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheeshan. Rahul is partial towards Venugopal for revamping the Congress organisation. As for Chennithala, he has served as Kerala’s home minister and also the LoP. Chennithala, who is the Congress’s Maharashtra in-charge, is regarded as an organisation man. However, Venugopal may still edge him out as he can arrange funding easily whenever the Gandhi family or the AICC needs. It is being said that big business groups in Keralam are rooting for him. But party workers are fully with Satheesan who was the LoP in the outgoing Keralam Assembly. A social media campaign credits him as the sole architect of the party’s victory. Can Rahul ignore Satheesan?
Close on the heels of the Congress severing ties with the DMK in Tamil Nadu and extending support to TVK led by Joseph Vijay to form a government, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asking for a separate seating arrangement inside the House. In her letter, she said that in view of the changed political circumstances and in view of the fact that our alliance with the Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for us to continue sitting alongside them in the House. She sought separate seating arrangements for her MPs. Kanimozhi’s requests for separate seating arrangement was reposted on X with interest by BJP national secretary BL Santosh; he had predicted that the Congress surely would end up “with egg on its face”. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took to social media to take a veiled swipe at the Congress after the party’s dramatic political shift in Tamil Nadu triggering fresh questions over the stability of the INDIA bloc. Sharing a photograph from his recent meeting with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and another picture with DMK’s MK Stalin, Yadav posted on social media: “We are not the ones who abandon each other in times of difficulty.” Though he did not name any party, the timing of the remark quickly drew attention in political circles, especially after Congress walked out of its long-standing alliance with the DMK in TN and extended support to actor-politician Vijay’s TVK. Yadav’s post also came just a day after he met Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata following the Trinamool Congress’ setback in West Bengal. The meeting was seen as part of broader opposition efforts to reassess strategy after recent assembly election losses.
Who is behind the violence in Bengal? Since the day election results were declared, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has not conceded defeat. She is apprehensive about her supporters, who might opt to lie low after the debacle. The face of her bhaipo or nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who had challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to come to Bengal after May 4, appeared drained and pale. The Centre has apparently received intelligence reports of TMC supporters donning saffron clothes and ’tilak’, and holding BJP flags while indulging in violence. In some places, some BJP supporters have also indulged in vengeful action. Videos of most of these acts of violence are available, and it is up to the authorities to take corrective action immediately. It is a good sign that the police have swung into action and incidents of violence have declined. For the BJP, it will be a challenge to ensure peace, end fear in the minds of the public and establish the rule of law. Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, Chandranath Rath was shot dead triggering strong political reactions and intensified scrutiny of post-poll violence in West Bengal. Till now, nearly 200 FIRs have been filed and 433 persons have been arrested. Bengal police, along with central paramilitary forces, are raiding hideouts of anti-social elements, and large quantities of arms and ammunition have been seized. In Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district, more than 20 country-made bombs were seized. Bengal police have set up a helpline for people to dial in case of violent incidents. On May 5, a Trinamool Congress temporary office in Kolkata’s Dharmatala locality was demolished by some BJP supporters, using a bulldozer. BJP leaders claimed that the party office was built illegally in the middle of a busy road.
After Bengal, Telangana is the BJP’s next target in the South? Is it laying the ground to flip a Congress-ruled state? The failure and rejection of BRS, and the unfolding saga of Congress’s rule, ridden by corruption and the non-delivery of promises, have paved the way for the BJP to gear up to set a narrative against the rule of both these parties. In this context, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s return has not been ruled out. Sanjay, president of the Telangana BJP in 2023, was considered a powerful orator and succeeded in creating an anti-incumbency wave against the ruling BRS in the state. However, it is believed that his abrupt removal from the post cost the BJP a chance at performing better in Telangana. A long-term plan for Telangana that would carry the party forward beyond any individual is in the works. The BJP is hoping to position itself to capitalise on a possible victory in Karnataka, which goes to the polls just six months before Telangana. Sunil Bansal, master strategist and the BJP’s national general secretary, who is among those credited for delivering Bengal for the party, is expected to visit Hyderabad to give the state leaders a blueprint for 2028, sources say. Nearly a month before Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled visit to Hyderabad on May 10, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and national general secretary Tarun Chugh visited Hyderabad in April, just as Tamil Nadu and Kerala were going to polls. The two leaders met with senior party functionaries and the Telangana Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sangathan mantri, Chandrasekhar Tiwari. In his maiden visit to the state after assuming office for a third consecutive term, PM Modi will launch infrastructure and industrial projects worth nearly Rs 9,000 crore. At present, the BJP has eight MLAs in Telangana and the same number of MPs from the state.
Gadkari, Piyush Goyal Make It In BJP’s Second List; Mysore MP Pratap Simha Axed For Parliament Blast
The BJP’s second list of 72 candidates reflects a considered strategy of fielding senior leaders who have never faced a direct election like the Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal from Mumbai North. It also got former Haryana CM Manohar L Khattar to contest from Karnal. Speculations about Road Minister Nitin Gadkari’s not being fielded from Nagpur simply proved to be unfounded and sheer Opposition mind game. However, some sitting MPs from Mumbai — Poonam Mahajan from Mumbai North Central and Manoj Kotak from Mumbai North East — failed to make the cut. Mumbai North MP Gopal Shetty who made way for Piyush Goyal could be suitably rewarded. Caste-wise for the first time Pune Lok Sabha seat has gone out of the Brahmin fold to Maratha leader Murlidhar Mohol, a former city mayor. Party sources say Mohol is a pick of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. The Brahmin lobby was mollified with a RS ticket given to Medha Kulkarni. Much blood bath has actually happened in Karnataka where the BJP failed to form the government in the 2023 assembly polls. Ticket of Mysore MP Pratap Simha was nixed; he was the MP who got passes for those who ambushed the new Parliament Complex in December 2023. The BJP leadership is so upset with Simha, once considered to be a blue-eyed boy of PM Modi that his seat has been given to Yaduveer Wadiyar, the royal scion. Focussing on playing the Lingayat card, it got former CM Basavarj Bommai to contest from Haveri and shifted Shoba Karandlaje from Udupi to Bangalore North. It has fielded Dr CN Manjunath, son-in-law of JD(S) leader from Bangalore Rural.
“Eknath Gangubai Sambhaji Shinde” says the nameplate outside Maharashtra chief minister’s Mantralaya cabin. Deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, too, have asked their staff to redo their official nameplates. This change is one of many, in accordance with a series of decisions the state cabinet has taken on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections and just before the model code of conduct comes into force. According to this decision, all official documents will include the mother’s name after the individual’s name and will be followed by the father’s name and surname. In the last two days, the cabinet took nearly 300 decisions, small and major. One decision has proposed renaming suburban rail stations in Mumbai, in a bid to revive its historical place names. Thus, Sandhurst Road station will be renamed as Dongri while Charni Road will be known as Girgaon. Of course, these changes will become applicable only after the Centre clears the proposal. The renaming spree will include Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar after Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, the ruler of Indore, remembered for her construction of various temples and ghats on sacred rivers like the Ganga and Narmada. She was born in the district, known for nearly three centuries as Ahmednagar. In response to a demand to name Dadar station after Dr BR Ambedkar, it has been planned to give his name to the newly developing Parel rail terminus. After due process, the fate of most of these changes will be known. For now, they are generally welcomed.
The Lok Sabha seat sharing talks between the Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are finally reaching a consensus. BJP will contest the lion’s share of seats (30 seats), Shinde’s Sena taking the tiger’s share (10-15) while Ajit Pawar’s NCP may be restricted to three to four seats. According to a senior political leader, “The NCP will be allotted seats based on the number of Lok Sabha seats the undivided NCP had secured in the 2019 general elections with the deal likely sweetened with the Pune parliamentary constituency. Things are fluid and the alliance is still open to candidates from any party in the alliance for seats where the other two fail to find suitable contestants with a winning political quotient.” The BJP may give up its claim on the Pune Lok Sabha seat, having already sent its party candidate Medha Kulkarni to Parliament via the Rajya Sabha. In 2019, the BJP had contested 25 seats and won 23. The (undivided) Shiv Sena contested 23 and won 18, giving the NDA a tally of 41 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. While Ajit Pawar may get Pune, the BJP’s state leadership failed to ensure poll wins in the region in Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune in lower rung elections, cooperative sector may come back to haunt it in the coming days. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is directly handling the talks with Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar.
Splinter Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray dared Gadkari to quit BJP and contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on his own to kick out the arrogance of the central leadership, if his party fails to give him a ticket. Uddhav promised full support from his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance for his victory. Though the BJP has announced over 195 candidates for states like UP, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal. The second list wherein states like Maharashtra will figure is yet not out. But, rumour mills are doing overtime that Gadkari could be dropped. This is fuelled further by statements of the likes of Sanjay Raut, who allege that there is a conspiracy to sideline Gadkari to avoid a scenario of him emerging as a consensus PM candidate were the BJP coalition to end up with a lower tally of 220-225 seats. There is strong simmering discontent within the BJP which is abuzz with the talks of majority of the 14 sitting MP’s from Maharashtra of Shiv Sena being dropped to accommodate ‘winnable’ candidates from within BJP or from other coalition partners, to strengthen Modi’s fight for third term. Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis did state that Gakari’s candidature could be announced once a decision on list of Maharashtra’s candidates was completed. Gadkari enjoys strong support across the political spectrum. The simmering discontent within the BJP and the Mahayuti alliance is also evident from the fact that seats sharing in Maharashtra could not be completed despite personal visit and intervention by home minister Amit Shah.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and both deputy chief ministers, Devendra Fadanvis and Ajit Pawar, have expressed their inability to enjoy veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s hospitality in Baramati, where the three ruling alliance leaders will be visiting on March 2. Interestingly, the venue of a gathering, ‘Namo Maha Rozgar Mela, is the Vidya Pratishthan grounds. The institution occupies a pride of place in the numerous such bodies headed by Pawar. The Mela has been organised by Ajit Pawar, who is taking on his uncle’s might on both their home turfs. As Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is determined to retain her Baramati Lok Sabha seat, the family feud has been fuelled by persistent media stories that Ajit’s wife Sunetra is most likely candidate in the constituency on behalf of her husband’s NCP faction. Pawar had written to the CM and DCMs on 28 February. In the letter, he had expressed willingness to attend the Mela and extended the invite to all three to join for tea and a meal. Shinde and Fadnavis have cited pre-scheduled events for being unable to join and have assured Pawar that they will certainly accept his repast at a suitable future time and date. The gesture shown by Pawar was quite intriguing but his habit of administering political shocks, to friends and adversaries, is well known. Moreover, as even his statements are taken with a pinch of salt, breaking bread with him by Shinde or any of the DCMs would have become sensational news.
As the Maratha agitation in Maharashtra may have fizzled out, the political knives are out between Devendra Fadnavis and Sharad Pawar. The agitation was scuttled in the backdrop of allegations of financial kickbacks, secret midnight meetings and even conspiracies to kill Manoj Jarange Patil. While the BJP has fired all guns against the original Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar, accusing him of being the mastermind behind the agitation and even hinting that the conspiracy was managed from Rajesh Tope’s sugar factory, Sharad Pawar has dared that he has nothing to fear and that no phone calls were made from him. Tope admitted that he had simply provided food and water to agitators from his constituency. Jarange Patil has hinted that leaders from all political parties would stand exposed in the SIT investigation, sparking speculation that the agitation had the tacit support from blocks within both the ruling and the opposition fronts. The Eknath Shinde government has been accused of deliberately playing footsie with Jarange Pati. All parties may have unanimously voted for 10% reservation for the Marathas in a special session of the legislature on February 20, 2024, but the aftermath of the agitation has led to a bitter fall out between parties eyeing the politically powerful bloc of Maratha vote bank. This vote bank continues to be splintered across parties and political machinations have failed to consolidate it behind any particular political block.
Maratha reservation agitation’s icon Manoj Jarange Patil has abandoned his audacious plan to lead a march to the Mumbai residence of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to press his demand. Already roasted by his former associates, chief minister Eknath Shinde’s stern warning to Jarange and his followers that they will face stringent action if they took law in their hand is believed to have resulted in his withdrawal of the march. Even Opposition parties, too, have indirectly expressed unhappiness over Jarange’s impossible demands, like asking the government to take and announce a decision within the next few hours. Now, his associate for 18 years, Baburao Walekar has charged that Jarange is hungry for publicity and had instigated his followers in the past to indulge in violence though keeping himself away from such acts. Walekar is the third leader to come out in the open against Jarange. The first was Abhay Baraskar, who is a noted Keertan exponent. He was followed by Sangeeta Wankhede, who became Jarange’s follower after he launched his agitation. She has alleged that Jarange was taking erratic decisions at the behest of a top NCP giant. Interestingly, Fadnavis had stated a day earlier that Jarange’s script resembled the statements of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. On Monday (Feb 26), Jarange has announced the end of his indefinite fast. The battle over Maratha reservations is expected to enter the precincts of judiciary soon.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has shut all doors for the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray. In a TV channel interview, Fadnavis freely expressed his hurt over the way he was treated by Uddhav after the 2019 assembly election in the state. Fadnavis said political differences can be ironed out. But it will not be possible for the BJP rank and file to overlook the insults hurled by Uddhav at Prime Minister Narendra Modi day in and day out. Recalling his friendly relations with Uddhav for 25 years, Fadnavis said that the Sena leader even refused to take his telephone calls after the assembly election results. It is extremely hurtful to be stabbed in the back by someone you had close ties with, the DCM said. He also attacked NCP founder Sharad Pawar for going back on his pact to form a government with the BJP. Fadnavis made it clear that the people flocking to the BJP were coming by accepting its ideology. “We had just two MPs in 1984. Now we are in power. But throughout, we have never compromised with our basic principles,” he maintained. His statements have indicated that more incomings into the BJP are still possible. One such name being discussed is that of Eknath Khadse, a pillar of the Maharashtra BJP once upon a time. The Congress, too, is worried by the possible exodus. The state BJP leadership will soon administer some more political shocks, it is felt.
The vexed reservation of the Maratha community, which the Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde was hoping to capitalise on, doesn’t seem to have gone well. Not only did it fail to halt the fast by Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil, it further upset him and he stated that the community had felt let down by the CM. “It clearly shows that the government doesn’t care much for the demands of the Maratha community,” he rued before announcing further intensification of his hunger strike and refusing treatment. The reservation issue has already been creating much unrest in the Marathwada region with bandhs and protests being part of the agitations playing out there. Analysts view the Maratha reservation issue as a box of false promises brought out before every election to woo the 28% Maratha electorate that is spread across all political parties. This was the third attempt by the Maharashtra government to promise reservations for the Maratha community, with earlier attempts being made by the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2018 and the Prithviraj Chauhan government in 2014. Each time the decisions were stuck down by the courts. Even Shinde is aware of this challenge and kept emphasising that this time, it should stand legal scrutiny, backed up as it was with data from an empirical survey from 1,58,20,264 households using computer assisted personal interviews. Even Jarange Patil is not convinced if it will stand in courts, and this fear could actually boomerang in the Lok Sabha polls.
Repeated stories in www.shortpost.in predicting that Ashok Chavan, former chief minister of Maharashtra will bid adieu to the Congress party are now confirmed, though he has taken his own time to decide. Chavan’s absence from the legislative assembly floor in 2022 when the house was voting on a motion expressing confidence in the government of Eknath Shinde had proved sensational. However, his clarification that he was held up in a traffic jam was accepted by his party. At the time, DCM Devendra Fadnavis had thanked the ‘invisible hands’ supporting the government. On Monday (Feb 12), there was a feeling of déjà vu when Fadnavis said that some bigwigs from the Opposition were expected to join the BJP. Within minutes, Chavan announced his resignation from the Congress and the legislative assembly. Although he has not confirmed his saffron entry, Chavan has not denied the possibility, either. “Wait for a couple of days,” is all that he has said for the time being. Even when Chavan had supervised Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra’s meticulous arrangements in his home constituency Nanded, www.shortpost.in had hinted at his restlessness. However, the news story was not taken seriously. Chavan, too, continued to participate in the party’s activities. Recovering from the shock, Congress leaders in Maharashtra are presently frantically contacting the party legislators since reports are circulating that several of them are preparing to follow Chavan out of the Congress.
A war of words has erupted between Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the two political killings in the state during the past week. Even earlier, Uddhav had used select invectives to attack Fadnavis over political issues. The latest provocation is the killing of Abhishek Ghosalkar, a Sena (U) leader in Mumbai, by one of his acquaintances. Various media stories have surfaced subsequently, suggesting their soured ties over electoral ambitions of both. Fadnavis is criticised by various I.N.D.I.A constituent leaders. Uddhav leads them. In the past, Uddhav had called Fadnavis ‘worthless’ (faaltoo) and a blot (‘kalank’) for Maharashtra. In his latest assault, Uddhav has called Fadnavis a ‘psycho’ (mano rugna) and remarked that his earlier adjectives pale before the way Fadnavis has reacted to this killing. The DCM had ridiculed the demands for his resignation by saying that the opposition will ask for his exit even if tomorrow a dog is killed under a vehicle. Rather than responding to Uddhav, Fadnavis retorted, “My only prayer to the Almighty for Uddhav is ‘Get well soon’ as it appears from the choice of his words that he is suffering from some psychological disorder.”
Shooting incidents in Maharashtra have brought the Maharashtra government under fire and raised a chorus for the resignation of home minister Devendra Fadnavis. The killing of close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, Abhishek Ghosalkar during a Facebook live as also the shooting in a Ulhasnagar police station by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator have raised questions of the law and order situation in the state. Parallels are being drawn with Bihar and the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government has come under fire especially from Uddhav Thackeray’s firebrand Sanjay Raut who has demanded implementation of President’s rule in the state. Raut has also been vocal against his bete noire chief minister Eknath Shinde for ‘goonda raj’ and ‘mafia raj’ in Maharashtra. He supported his claims by releasing pictures of gangsters along with Shinde at the state secretariat. The Uddhav faction of the Sena, which is under fire from various agencies, has upped the ante against Shinde and Fadnavis, who it believes are leading the charge to poach their legislators with threats of cases and other means to get them into the ruling alliance. A BJP internal survey in Maharashtra has been unflattering for the party; hence the overdrive to poach political support from other parties. These rising incidents of violence needs to be viewed from the lens of the escalating political tensions amidst the coerced realignments resulting in bitter local equations in the run-up to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
A Mood Of the Nation pre-election survey carried out by India Today and C-Voter has predicted that the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consisting Uddhav-led Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP under Sharad Pawar will bag 26 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra while the ruling alliance of the Sena under CM Eknath Shinde as well as the two DCMs, Devendra Fadanvis and Ajit Pawar only 22. In 2019, the BJP-Sena alliance had won 41 seats. It is generally expected that it would repeat the performance, especially since Ajit Pawar teamed up with the saffron alliance. Buoyed up by the forecast, the Opposition in the state has started making claims that its Lok Sabha tally would exceed 35. Maharashtra’s LS tally is only second to Uttar Pradesh with 80 seats. Hence, Maharashtra occupies a crucial place in the BJP’s electoral calculation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s frequent visits to the state are interpreted as a sign of nervousness on the part of the ruling side. He is slated to pay his next visit on February 19 to launch some mega infra projects. According to the survey, the Congress will win 12 seats while the Sena (Uddhav) and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar would capture 14 seats together, leaving 22 for the NDA. The MVA is feeling more confident ever since Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar has agreed to enter the LS fray under its banner. In 2019, the united Sena had won 19 seats, along with the BJP’s 21. The united NCP had four while the Congress and the AIMIM could win one seat each. The survey findings are rather surprising since it has predicted a BJP sweep in several major states, including UP, MP, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
BJP Kalyan (East) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who fired several bullets at his arch enemies inside a police station, has made several sensational allegations against Maharashtra’s chief minister Eknath Shinde and his son Shrikant, MP. The matter is likely to snowball into a major political storm as this is the first incident of its kind in Maharashtra. According to Gaikwad, a property dispute at Ulhasnagar near Kalyan was at the root of the shocking incident. He has alleged that the father-son duo had been fostering goondaism in the area. Gaikwad has been representing the Kalyan (East) constituency for nearly two decades, becoming a thorn in the side of the Shinde faction. The critically injured Mahesh Gaikwad and Rahul Patil are said to be staunch followers of Shinde and Shrikant. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who handles the home department, however, has become the whipping boy for the Opposition. NCP MP Supriya Sule and state Congress president Nana Patole led the demand brigade seeking Fadnavis’ resignation immediately after the news of the firing spread like wildfire. On the other hand, OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal (Ajit Pawar faction) has ridiculed the demand asking “Did Fadnavis ask the MLA to fire?” A home minister would have to resign a hundred times a day if he is demanded to quit after each criminal incident. But Sharad Pawar has remarked that the incident shows in which direction the state is moving.
Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal is becoming the central point in the whirlwind scenario that is building up in Maharashtra over the state government’s decision to grant reservations to the Maratha caste due to his aggressive stance for protecting the OBC reservations. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two DCMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have advised Bhujbal to ‘understand’ the government’s notification in this regard first before making any public statement. In retaliation for some Maratha leaders’ comments, Bhujbal has declared in front of his supporters that he will not hanker for a ministership if there is a choice between his post and his demand. In a bid to reinforce the BJP’s commitment towards the OBCs, Fadnavis has issued a veiled warning. He said he would approach the party leadership if an eventuality to threaten the OBC reservations ever arose. When Fadnavis was asked about Bhujbal’s statements, he merely said that Bhujbal needs to maintain restraint. He can discuss the matter in detail after both meet. Ajit Pawar, likewise, said it would be necessary to know Bhujbal’s exact grievance and what the government had offered. Perhaps unsettled after several quarters have alerted the Maratha community about the difficulties in the way of securing the reservations, the agitation leader, Manoj Jarange Patil has reiterated his determination to fight out till it is achieved. Both camps are finalising their strategy and are unrelenting about their stands.
The adept handling of the Manoj Jarange Patil-led Maratha agitation not only consolidates the position of chief minister Eknath Shinde but also marks the emergence of Shinde as the dark horse of Maharashtra politics. Shinde, who himself is a Maratha, could also benefit electorally from the politically strong Maratha vote bank, that has been the mainstay of the Pawars — both uncle Sharad and his nephew Ajit — as also the Congress. By successfully containing the agitation on the outskirts of Mumbai, the CM now finds himself one-up over his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, both of whom nurse ambitions to upstage him. And the backlash is already showing up. Fadnavis has already clarified that police cases will continue against arsonists who indulged in violence against policemen specifying that only courts were authorised to withdraw cases. Shinde had promised withdrawal of all police cases against Maratha activists. Fadnavis supporter advocate Gunaratne Sadavarte has also threatened to challenge the government reservation order in the courts. Chhagan Bhujbal from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP has also criticised the draft notification from Shinde government terming the reservation as an eyewash that will not stand up to legal scrutiny. The agitation has successfully helped divert attention from Shinde and his team of 39 legislators being called as ‘traitors’ by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena that kept Shinde on the defensive and threatened his electoral stakes. The agitation also helped divert attention from the negative effect of breaking two popular political parties — Shiv Sena and NCP for the BJP.
The Maratha caste’s demand for reservations, although granted by the Maharashtra government, will continue to dominate the state political scene for more time as two major issues are still unresolved. Firstly, there is a Supreme Court petition concerning the demand. The last hearing took place on 24 January but the outcome is yet not known. Perhaps more hearings could be needed. The fate of the reservations would be clear only after the Apex Court declares its verdict. Secondly, agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil has been firm on his demand that all cases filed by the police in connection with the protest actions must be withdrawn forthwith. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadanvis has made it clear that it will not be possible due to legalities involved. Offences like setting houses afire with family members inside, mounting attacks against the police or torching public property can’t be withdrawn unless permitted by court. But Fadnavis clarified that all other cases will be dropped, as promised by chief minister Eknath Shinde to Jarange. Meanwhile, certain experts have started criticising the CM, suggesting that he has taken the agitators for a ride as the state government is not empowered to give such a reservation at all. To complicate the matter, Jarange has threatened to start another fast unto death if the reservations do not materialise. The ruling side’s insistence that the OBC reservations would not be touched to accommodate the Maratha caste will pose new problems for the government, it is felt.
The political age for young Turks is being reemphasized in Maharashtra again with pole positioning currently underway for suitable appointments to the state council of ministers once general elections conclude in April 2024. Union Minister for micro, small and medium enterprises Narayan Rane’s MLA son Nitesh Rane has consciously donned the saffron robes of Hindutva (over love and land jehad) while stridently ratcheting up his rhetoric by a few notches against the Thackeray Khandaan simultaneously. According to a BJP leader, “When Eknath Shinde was installed as CM, the BJP high command’s diktat was induction of new faces in the state council of ministers that was not done although 20 cabinet berths were filled up. The political debacle in Bihar back then saw the Modi-Shah leadership letting it slide rather than risk political instability in Maharashtra, however, repeatedly rebuffed subsequent attempts at cabinet expansion.” In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi consciously grafted the old crop BJP leadership from Maharashtra into his Union cabinet of ministers, clearing the field for the young Turks in Maharashtra following which Devendra Fadnavis became CM. Vinod Tawde, Sudhir Mungantiwar also became ministers.” Post Lok Sabha elections, young Turks including Nitesh Rane, Gopichand Padalkar, Prasad Lad, Yogesh Sagar and others from the BJP hope to find a berth in the state cabinet of ministers in the run up to the state assemblies in November 2024, unless the BJP high command holds simultaneous polls.
Wednesday, 10 January 2024, will be perhaps one of the most important days in Maharashtra’s history as state legislative assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar is scheduled to deliver his verdict on the disqualification petitions against chief minister Eknath Shinde and his several supporters. Narvekar has indicated that only highlights of the 500-page judgement will be read out tomorrow at 4 pm in Vidhan Bhavan and the detailed verdict will be available later. Even as suspense is building up about the fate of the three-party government in the state, Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have expressed confidence that the petitions will be rejected by the speaker. Shinde said he had the majority, which was the main test in a democracy. Moreover, the Election Commission had recognised his side as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena and hence he was hopeful that justice will prevail. On the other hand, Sena’s rival faction chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar have taken grave objections for two meetings Narvekar had with Shinde at the latter’s official residence over the past week. “It is highly suspicious that the judge is calling on the accused,” Uddhav told the media on Tuesday while Pawar felt that it would have been better if Narvekar had not met the CM in this situation. While 34 petitions have been filed in the matter, over three lakh pages of various documents had to be perused, Narvekar has revealed.
The verbal war between the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) over taking credit for the Babri demolition in 1992 is intensifying by the day. Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took it to another level. Fadnavis revealed that the Sangh Parivar activists had been asked not to claim credit for the demolition and hence had never done so. He was livid since some Sena leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, have castigated the BJP by asking about its contribution in the razing of the disputed structure. In a sharp retort, Fadnavis said the entire world knew that LK Advani, Uma Bharati and Murli Manohar Joshi were among those present in Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 while not a single Sena activist was involved in the demolition. Replying to questions about Balasaheb Thackeray’s statement that “I am proud if the demolition is carried out by Shiv Sainiks,” Fadnavis said that it was done in response to a media question, nothing more. However, those people who did not venture out of their house were trying to claim credit for the demolition, he said, taking a dig at Uddhav. He said he himself had attended the Kar Seva in Ayodhya repeatedly and was once in jail, too. “The moment the structure came down was so joyful that it can’t be described in words,” recalled Fadnavis.
The ruling alliance in Maharashtra is making intense efforts to coincide Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Nasik visit on 12 January next year with the inauguration of the massive Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project, connecting Mumbai with the mainland. Modi is scheduled to open the National Youth Festival on that day in Nasik on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. Preparations have started for the mega event in which thousands of participants from across the country have been invited. To benefit from the slated visit in view of the coming general election, the Shinde-Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar triumvirate has decided to invite Modi for declaring open the longest sea bridge in the country, being constructed at a cost exceeding Rs 18,000 crore. In fact, it was to be commissioned on 25 December but this did not happen since some finishing touches remained. The link will prove to be of immense political importance for the ruling side since it will open new vistas of development. Similarly, the choice of Nasik for the youth fest is crucial since the city is identified with Lord Ram’s footprint and a major pilgrimage centre. Senior Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has been entrusted to make adequate preparations for the PM’s visit, during which some major announcements eyeing the polls are anticipated.
The Maratha reservation agitation issue has helped chief minister Eknath Shinde get one-up over his deputy and predecessor Devendra Fadnavis. Shinde’s political acumen has helped him win favour with Maratha leader Manoj Jarage Patil, who publicly proclaims that Shinde could be the only person who can make reservations for Marathas possible. Patil though reserves his ire against Fadnavis for creating unrest by ‘poisoning’ the minds of Maratha leaders and has even advised the BJP to expel him from the party and the state. Jarange is upset at Fadnavis for propping up Chhagan Bhujbal for challenging and consolidating the Other Backward Class (OBC) community against him. Jarange and Bhujbal have been involved in a bitter war of words that has stretched to personal lows. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s shift in stance that the Maratha community cannot be granted blanket reservation, has also upset Jarange, who claims that it was an assurance given to get him to withdraw from his 17-day hunger fast on the issue. Police cases against Jarange’s supporters for stone throwing against policemen, has further fuelled anger against Fadnavis, since he holds the home portfolio. While tendering his resignation, state backward class commission member BL Killarikar had claimed that Shinde was ready to conduct a large-scale survey of communities, but was opposed by Fadnavis. The Opposition believes that both the Maratha and OBC agitations are state-sponsored to divert attention from genuine issues affecting the state.
The State Backward Class Commission’s chairman Anand Nirgude’s resignation soon after two of the members had quit has armed the Opposition in Maharashtra with a hefty stick to hit at the Shinde-Fadanvis-Ajit Pawar government. The timing of the resignation is significant since the Maratha caste’s deadline for the government to take a decision on its reservation demand expires on December 24. While it is alleged that the resignations have come on account of the ruling side’s interference in the working of the commission, Nirgude himself has clarified that he has put in his papers for personal reasons. Moreover, he has declared that he will not come before the media to speak about what has happened. Immediately after the news about Nigrude leaked out, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the matter should be investigated through a Special Investigation Team. The two members who had resigned earlier, Balaji Killarkar and Lakshman Hake, had complained of governmental meddling. Uddhav said the names of the two MLAs who were pressurising the commission must come out. Legislative assembly’s leader of opposition Vijay Wadettiwar and Uddhav’s spokesman Sanjay Raut, too, came out strongly against the government. Senior minister Shambhuraje Desai said the reason for the resignation of Nirgude would be ascertained before making any comment. But he has flatly denied that the government has in any manner tried any intrusion in the commission’s working.
Former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik continues to be the focal point of Maharashtra politics. Released by court on bail while facing charges like indulging in anti-national activities, Malik’s arrival in Nagpur where the state legislature is in session has kicked off a virtual storm. Unfazed, he spent some time in the legislative assembly for the second consecutive day. The BJP’s opposition to his inclusion in the NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction has been backed by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Thereafter, top NCP leader Praful Patel joined the flurry of activity as the issue continued to reverberate in the second capital of Maharashtra. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has demanded that Malik should not be accepted by the Ajit faction in view of the serious charges against him. Ajit’s close associate Dilip Walse Patil has expressed his party’s unhappiness over the Fadnavis letter reaching the media. To douse the heat, Patel met Fadnavis and made it clear that no political talks have been held with Malik. On the other hand, Malik called on Ajit. Firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal, too, joined the discussion. Ajit had announced that he will decide his stand on this issue only after meeting Malik. Hence, attention is now focused on Ajit’s next step as it will determine the direction of the state polity, which is buffeted by caste-based demands for reservations over the past month.
The fabulous victory in the assembly elections in three northern states has expectedly heightened the confidence of the rank and file of the BJP. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has lobbed the first volley on behalf of such workers with his own prophecy. “Our leader Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn in as our next chief minister in 2024,” the irrepressible Bawankule declared in a party workers’ meet in Bhandara and made all those present to repeat the oath after him. While Fadnavis himself has repeatedly avoided any direct response to such questions from the media, the state party chief has no such compunction. So far, Fadnavis has not reacted to the incident while the opposition has kept mum, perhaps needing time to recover from the electoral drubbing suffered by the I.N.D.I.A front. On his part, Fadnavis has time and again ensured that no conflict is created within the three-party government in the state. Just a couple of days ago, unconfirmed reports became viral that the BJP will contest 26 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Sensing that such baseless talk could generate avoidable tensions, Fadnavis immediately clarified that there was no such decision. This dampened any further speculation. Hence, several party workers feel Bawankule needs to learn the art of politics from Fadnavis and pray that such a day will come soon.
Senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s attack against the Maratha caste reservation demand and his various utterances against the government of which he himself is a member have created a piquant situation in Maharashtra. His own party, the Nationalist Congress party (NCP), has disowned his stand against the Maratha caste to which the party leader Ajit Pawar belongs. On the other hand, various Maratha leaders have started demanding his removal from the Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar ministry. In retaliation, OBC leaders irrespective of party affiliations have started uniting under Bhujbal’s stewardship. Both sides have hardened their respective stands. While the Maratha leaders are firm that their caste must be granted reservations, OBC leaders have made it clear that no slice from their quota to the Marathas would be permitted under any circumstances. Though Maharashtra’s prominent leaders take pride in describing the state as the most progressive in India, casteism was always present though not as articulated as now. Rallies by leaders of both sides have been evoking tremendous response, sending warning signals in view of the volatile situation. The approaching general election next year will be definitely affected by the reservation imbroglio. Curiously, the Centre has maintained silence over the burning issue, fearing that any stand taken by it would have repercussions in other states like Rajasthan and Haryana where similar demands have been pending for a long time. Hence, the developing situation in Maharashtra is watched keenly by the political stakeholders.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde extended service hours of the twin Metro lines (2A, 7) to 11 pm daily for Mumbai’s western suburban commuters’ convenience. Shinde was on perpetual poll mode since becoming CM in 2022, with an agenda to blunt political negativity over erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi, led by his former boss Uddhav Thackeray, being ejected from power. The current Maha boss had a clear brief to launch a blitzkrieg of project announcements, big and small, to launch 500 public welfare schemes before polls. After BJP severed political ties (for good) with Uddhav Thackeray, it leveraged Shinde’s grass roots work culture and recently, added NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s political dynamism to counter the groundswell of disenchantment among citizens. Shinde’s efforts are yielding political returns by carving a positive image for his (breakaway) government in Maharashtra where self-body elections to 27 municipalities were kept on hold to tide over negative public sentiment. A BJP leader tells shortpost.in, “Things are looking up now in the 48 Lok Sabha seats from Maharashtra. ‘Worker’ Shinde, backed by ‘Chanakya’ Fadnavis and ‘Dynamic’ (Ajit) Pawar are expected to ensure negative results turn positive in the forthcoming polls. BJP’s fail-safe to ensure Lok Sabha victory is projection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face under which elections will be fought in Maharashtra, just like in Rajasthan.” Understandably, the ‘Maha Chanakya’ from Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar, is leaving no stone unturned to counter BJP’s strategy of wait-and-watch by precipitating protests over ‘Maratha’ reservations to never-before-seen levels
The three-party coalition ruling in Maharashtra has humbled the NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray in the just declared results for the Gram Panchayats in the state. The BJP has emerged as the single largest winner in the public mandate which was tested for the first time after the change of guard last year. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and the two deputy chief ministers, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, have welcomed the outcome with claims that the ruling alliance will win 45 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections. Initial reports suggest that out of 2359 Gram Panchayat bodies, the ruling side has won 1354, with the BJP bagging over 743, Shinde’s Sena getting over 240 and Ajit Pawar’s faction 371. On the other hand, the NCP under Sharad Pawar has been able to win 178 bodies while Uddhav’s Sena has come last with 102 victories. The overall perception that the electorate will reject those defecting from the main party has been belied, especially since Ajit’s faction has emerged invincible in Pune district’s politics, which was dominated for decades by his uncle Sharad Pawar. This performance will have a direct impact on the seat sharing between the two sides and since the so-called I.N.D.I.A front has fared poorly.
Public figures are frequently made to face embarrassment as their pictures with controversial individuals standing next to them are later published. Their defence that they can’t know everybody in a crowd coming near them is valid, though mostly unbelieved by the general public. The latest such leader is embattled Maharashtra’s chief minister Eknath Shinde, who has been finding himself in a tight spot for the presence of infamous youtuber Elvish Yadav at his official residence during the 10-day Ganesh festival along with other celebrities. Barely recovering from the aftermath of an agitation to demand reservations for the Maratha caste, Shinde will be required to come out with his response to the tirade launched against him by the Opposition over Yadav’s presence at his house. Several videos of Yadav performing aarti at the CM’s home on September 25 have been made viral by leaders of the Opposition the moment the news of Yadav’s arrest landed on social media. Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, led the attack and was supported by Shiv Sena (Uddhav) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) functionaries. Sena’s Sushma Andhare mounted an offensive by demanding to know how someone accused of making drugs from snake venom had reached the CM’s bungalow. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, too, had to face some unpleasant moments when his picture with a questionable Nagpur politician was circulated by his detractors.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde sits pretty over rumours of being replaced by deputy chief minister (DCM) Ajit Pawar for three months and now, his other DCM Devendra Fadnavis. Shinde, the blue-eyed-boy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is unlikely to be replaced till poll bells sound, unless the Supreme Court disqualifies him. BJP’s ‘X’ handle reiterated Fadnavis’ second coming as Maha CM, before hurriedly deleting the post. A BJP leader told shortpost.in, “PM Modi likes Shinde’s efforts as a grass roots worker, reiterated during the Covid pandemic (in erstwhile MVA government) when he contracted the nCov twice. Modi loves Shinde and only a few months back the entire Shinde’s clan (four generations) met PM Modi in Delhi. Earlier, under CM Fadnavis his diligent work during the Kerala floods of 2018 caught the PM’s eye.” He reveals that Shinde is in Modi’s good books for elevation as Union Minister with elections in Maharashtra projecting DCM Fadnavis. Sources say Shinde’s MP son Dr Shrikant is being groomed as Maha DCM in the next state government. When Pawar recently joined the government Shinde’s Sena did not lose many portfolios like Fadnavis led BJP did, due to the 50:50 share of power agreement. Pawar’s political pound of flesh recently (guardianship of Pune and other districts), saw BJP’s Chandrakant Dada Patil losing out his Pune turf. Modi’s new political template using ‘report card’ assessments was to the detriment of BJP leaders while rewarding staunch NDA allies like Shinde, who may face disqualification but still come out a winner.
A virtual war of attrition between the powerful Maratha caste and the Other Backward Class (OBC) population over the former’s demand for reservations is raging in Maharashtra, with both sides unwilling to budge from their firm positions. Suggestions that a share of the OBC reservations should be allotted to the Marathas has been vehemently rejected by National OBC Federation president Babanrao Taywade. On the other hand, his proposal that both sides should prevail upon the Centre to do away with the 50% reservation ceiling has been spurned by firebrand Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil, who has resumed his indefinite fast unto death. Patil had granted time to the state government to announce reservations for Marathas by the end of 24 October. As this did not happen, he restarted his fast, which he had suspended earlier following a firm assurance by chief minister Eknath Shinde that the reservation would be granted for the Marathas. Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have airdashed to Delhi to discuss the matter with the BJP leadership. Their unscheduled visit became a topic of political speculation since another deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, was not asked to accompany them. He feigned ignorance about this crucial visit. The explosive issue is expected to gain traction again in view of the impending general election next year.
Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh’s grave allegations against present deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the lathi charge against a pro-Maratha reservation morcha at Jalna were made at the instigation of NCP president Sharad Pawar, said a close relative of Deshmukh. “If a pin drops in my house, Anil knows about it and if a phone rings in his house, I come to know about it,” BJP’s OBC Cell’s Ashish Deshmukh has said. Anil’s allegation that the Maratha demonstrators at Jalna were beaten up by the police under the orders of Fadnavis has led to a war of words. Castigating him, Ashish said Anil Deshmukh must apologise for this allegation. Recalling various serious incidents during Anil Deshmukh’s stormy tenure as home minister of the state, Ashish said the NCP under Pawar was now a moth-eaten crumbling structure. To save it, Pawar and Anil were politicising the Maratha reservation issue. When Anil Deshmukh was in power, he did not know anything about the explosives planted near Mukesh Ambani’s house nor was he aware of the permission granted to the Wadhawan brothers during their custody period. “How does Anil now know about the orders issued by Fadnavis if he was unaware of the extortion from dance bar owners in Mumbai by notorious police officer Sachin Vaze then ,” Ashish has questioned.
The Maharashtra government’s abrupt decision to postpone Mumbai University’s senate election from the graduate constituency has brought arch enemies Aaditya and Amit Thackeray on the same page, at least on one issue. The two cousins, who were bracing for a pitched battle between their youth wings to control the senate, have condemned the decision. Both have alleged that the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance has put the election on hold ‘fearing the BJP’s rout.’ On the other hand, BJP leader Ashish Shelar has defended the decision, saying that the electoral rolls were defective as many names had been missing. A university official announced the postponement ‘till further orders’ without citing any reason. At present, the senate is controlled by Aaditya as all its 10 seats were won five years ago by the Yuva Sena. On the other hand, Raj Thackeray’s son Amit was to fight his first political battle by fielding the candidates on behalf of his Vidyarthi Yuva Sena. As a trial of strength, the election would have been a game changer in Mumbai and surrounding areas. Amidst this slugfest, Aaditya’s close confidant Praveen Patkar declared his decision to join the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Yuva Sena’s past victories are credited to Patkar’s untiring efforts
NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are scheduled to share dais on Sunday (Aug 13), once again giving rise to intense political speculation. Pawar’s latest proclamation that he will never align with the BJP is the reason for the guessing game as he is perceived to have acted differently than his public posture on many occasions. His fulsome praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1 when the PM received the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award and the warm gesture of Modi towards his ‘old friend’ attracted intense political attention. This was remembered when the NCP’s both factions – Pawar and nephew Ajit – did not issue any whip for last week’s voting in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) keep on expressing their anguish at Pawar’s decisions but have refrained from issuing any ultimatum in view of Pawar’s stewardship of the Opposition I.N.D.I.A front. Pawar and Fadnavis will be present at Sangola in Solapur district for unveiling the statue of former minister Ganpatrao Deshmukh, who represented the constituency for five decades with only one defeat. Deshmukh was a member of Pawar’s first cabinet in 1978. Meanwhile, rumour mills are once again buzzing over chief minister Eknath Shinde’s future. Hence the scheduled presence of Pawar along with Fadnavis is indeed raising eyebrows.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pune visit on August 1 will prove a game changer as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar will be the chief guest for honouring his ‘old friend’ with the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award. The PMO and Sharad Pawar have accepted the invitation, confirmed Rohit Tilak, the great-grandson of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and vice president of Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, both Dy CMs – Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar – as well as senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde will be among those present on the occasion. Shinde has been a member of the Trust for a long time. Faint murmurs of protests were heard from the Congress party in Pune for a couple of days after the award announcement. However, now there is total silence. The occasion will be significant for several reasons. Firstly, Sharad Pawar’s presence will raise eyebrows since he is a key figure in the opposition INDIA formation. Secondly, Pawar and his nephew Ajit will come face to face for the first time after the NCP split a few weeks ago. Thirdly, the Tilak family is stated to be unhappy as it was ignored by the Congress and the BJP while selecting candidates for the recent assembly byelection from Pune. Equally important is the perception that Modi has been visiting Pune often, considering its political clout in Maharashtra.
For all his bluff and bluster against BJP and Modi-Shah, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar never misses to show off his equations with the PM. In fact, days before his nephew Ajit walked over to the NDA, Pawar had gone public with details about how he had got Rohit Tilak, a Congress functionary and member of the legendary Tilak family, an appointment with PM Modi. “Imagine Rohit Tilak didn’t think of approaching Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to reach out to the PM.” Tilak wanted to reach out to Modi to persuade him to accept the Lokmanya Tilak Award this year. PM Modi will be travelling to Pune to receive this award in August. It only showed the kind of equations Pawar shared with PM Modi. At the same time, Pawar loves to charge the BJP of destroying the Opposition parties. More evidence of Sharad Pawar’s perfidy surfaced when Chhagan Bhujbal disclosed how the veteran leader at an NCP internal meeting had claimed that PM Modi had an edge in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was bound to get re-elected. It was amply clear that the octogenarian was aware of his limitations. State Congress leaders feel the party must now chart its own independent course with fresh faces such as Prithviraj Chavan and Anant Gadgil. Common people are fed up with the high drama of Sena-BJP and the NCP and are yearning for some new politics.
The BJP is said to have decided to target the Thackeray family in the days to come. The Shiv Sena under chief minister Eknath Shinde will supplement the onslaught. The first salvo will be fired by the Shinde-Fadnavis regime on 1 July, the day selected by Uddhav Thackeray supporters to take out a morcha to the civic headquarters. Alleging massive malpractices in the various contracts awarded by the administration, the Thackeray faction has started making preparations for the coming civic election, likely to be held after the monsoon this year. The morcha will be the first step in this campaign. To take out the shine from the protest march, the Shinde loyalists have announced that Aaditya Thackeray’s closest friend Rahul Kanal will join the Shiv Sena on that very day. Rahul has already left the posts he held under Aaditya and has also quit the WhatsApp group of that circle. Even a bigger surprise is in the waiting, Shinde’s followers have started whispering. Though Shinde himself has adopted a low profile, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated that the Thackeray family will face some drastic action in the near future. In an interview to Republic TV, Fadnavis went all out against Uddhav and warned him that police officials are collecting evidence necessary to file a chargesheet. He also discounted any possibility of a patch up with Uddhav.
Communal cauldron in Maharashtra is deliberately kept on the boil in view of the forthcoming elections in the state, charges Opposition leaders. Communal disturbances broke out simultaneously in Kolhapur, Dhule and Ahmednagar on June 7 following protests called by pro-Hindu organisations protesting against glorification of Aurangzeb on social media and his pics being flanked openly in rallies. Nationalist Congress Party supremo (NCP) Sharad Pawar alleges that the ruling alliance had failed to act strongly against communal forces. NCP leader Jitendra Avhad says that if assembly elections were held in Maharashtra today the Opposition alliance party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would win more than 200 seats and hence these disturbances were being engineered. The tensions have been simmering in the state for some time now ever since the BJP-Shiv Sena returned to power in the state with Eknath Shinde as chief minister. The tensions rise in the backdrop of anti- love jihad rallies organised at various districts. Anil Parab, leader from the Uddhav Thackeray group said that such tensions would deter investors away from the state. Meanwhile, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis warned that the spurt in glorification of Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan would not be tolerated.
Within 24 hours of the Supreme Court verdict in its favour, the Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has fired the first salvo against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by withdrawing suspension of former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh. Many more such shocks will be administered in the days to come, indications suggest. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has disclosed that the state government had merely implemented an order by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which had inferred that the departmental enquiry against Singh had been illegal and had scrapped the suspension. However, the coincidence is considered too significant to be accepted as an official formality. Singh’s new posting is expected to be announced soon. Singh’s reinstatement is viewed against the backdrop of another top IPS officer, Rashmi Shukla, who has already been accommodated in a Central posting. Both these officials were in the unwritten black list of the tripartite MVA, which ruled the state for 30 months. Singh had levelled serious allegations against then home minister Anil Deshmukh, a top NCP leader, who was facing the heat in connection with the explosives planted outside the residence of industrial magnate Mukesh Ambani. The case is sub-judice. Singh was suspended and an arrest warrant had been issued against him by the previous MVA government as its clashes with the Union government had escalated into a virtual war. MVA is girding up to face the onslaught, according to one of its leaders.
Suddenly there are many aspirants for the post of chief minister of Maharashtra. Or so it seems. All seem to have concluded that the Supreme Court verdict, to determine the fate of the Shiv Sena rebels, will go against Eknath Shinde and his 15 legislators, leading to a change in government. Aspirants range from Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The BJP’s ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis’ continues to stay in the race with state BJP leaders regularly pegging him as “our own CM.” Uddhav Thackeray continues to be a strong contender despite a drastic fall in his legislators’ strength from 56 to 16. Supriya Sule could be the dark horse in the fray. Not to be left behind, Ramdas Athawale too wants to be counted in for the race. Incidentally, in February, posters had sprung hailing NCP leaders like Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and even Supriya Sule as the future CM of Maharashtra. However, NCP leaders termed it as the work of mischievous elements. Now, when Ajit Pawar has already thrown his hat into the ring, posters are springing up yet again, hailing him as the future CM. At this juncture, a statement by NCP chief Sharad Pawar about the need for change in government, has only further fuelled the speculations. Incidentally, the man at the helm right now, Shinde, is tight-lipped and maintaining a low-profile.
As the number of Covid cases resurge in Maharashtra with the state registering a 63% spike in daily cases and three deaths as on March 29, its health minister Tanaji Sawant seems preoccupied with completely different concerns. At a meeting in Pandharpur recently, Sawant admitted that the health ministry didn’t interest him and he had taken it up with much reluctance. He claimed that the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government had given him positions that didn’t interest him, be it the health portfolio or even the guardian ministry of Parbhani and Dharashiv districts. Not one to mince words, Sawant had openly admitted that he was planning rebellion against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for denying him a ministerial berth in 2019, by holding over 100-150 meetings with legislators, over a period of two years when the state was reeling under Covid. Now, when the State is witnessing resurgence of Covid, the man at the helm, Sawant seems to be on a personal overdrive boasting that he could pull crowds much more than the likes of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee or even Bal Thackeray. Sawant is now eyeing the guardian minister’s slot for Solapur and has openly appealed to the chief minister and his deputy, to do the needful.
The uncertainty in Maharashtra is straining personal relations among political relationships. Every cursory visit or comment is viewed with suspicion and tends to create much speculation about the future political direction of every political leader. Visits by chief minister Eknath Shinde to the deputy chairperson of legislative council Neelam Gorhe raised eyebrows forcing her to clarify her position stating that “Even earlier chief ministers would visit and confer with the presiding officers of the legislative council or assembly for official purposes. Be it our earlier chief ministers Uddhav Thackeray or Devendra Fadnavis who would confer with the then speaker Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar. Our earlier speaker Shivajirao Deshmukh also received chief ministers regularly over official matters. These are routine procedures and should not be viewed beyond that.” Gorhe has her loyalties with the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, whose 16 legislators are being wooed by the Eknath Shinde-led Sena that enjoys the support of over 40 legislators. Though Maharashtra has a history of political leaders maintaining civil relations beyond party lines, this political culture of civility is now clearly under strain in the new political atmosphere. Former chief ministers Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis’ warm greeting when they happened to enter the assembly together by chance, also created much flutter.
A tacit message by Maharashtra Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis that he has in his possession the names of some top politicians and police officials in connection with an attempt to implicate his wife Amruta in a bribery trap has cast a pallor of apprehension since many heavyweights would face trouble, if his threat becomes a reality. The disclosure by Amruta that a designer, Aniksha, had tried to offer her a bribe of a crore of rupees in return for protecting her father Anil Jaisinghani who is a bookie, shook the political circles in the state. Immediately, guesswork began about the different angles of the serious matter. Fadnavis himself explained later that there was truth in the complaint and many prominent names could tumble out during the investigation. Aniksha has been arrested and sent to police custody till March 21. In the special court, Mumbai Police said that they have added charges of extortion against Aniksha, for demanding Rs 10 crore from Amruta. While most political leaders desisted from commenting upon the shocking development, Uddhav Thackeray’s follower Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha member, was engaged in a Twitter war with Amruta. She wondered how Aniksha could obtain access to such an important household. In retaliation, Amruta has castigated Priyanka for doubting her honesty.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s closest aide Milind Narvekar shot in the news after a gap of some months as his presence in the central hall of Maharashtra legislature became the most discussed political development on the opening day of the state’s budget session. Later, he said he had entered the hall owing to a misunderstanding. Narvekar had hit headlines in the past due to his close personal equations with various top leaders like Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde. His perceived plans to jump into one camp or another are always a matter of curiosity as he has been associated with varied institutions, from the Tirupati Temple Trust to the Mumbai Cricket Association. Political speculation was rife when Narvekar was seen in the hallowed precincts. His clarification that he had sat in the hall, mistaking it for the viewers’ gallery, was considered thin. Narvekar’s act, ostensibly inadvertent, has raised many questions as he is not new to the legislature to commit such a blunder. His party leader Aaditya Thackeray, when quizzed said, “Ask Milind if he entered the hall due to a mistake or it was his wish.” To corner the Uddhav faction over the issue, Eknath Shinde’s trusted supporter Sanjay Shirsat said, “Narvekar is in touch with us and many more MLAs are also in contact.”
The Maharashtra government under Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis has decided to adopt the path of aggressive Hindutva in the days to come after the Centre’s nod to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad in Marathwada. Following the favourable decision, there are demands rising that Ahmednagar, the largest district in the state, should be renamed as Ahilyanagar to perpetuate the memory of Ahilyabai Holkar, the 17th century ruler of Indore. Similar demands have been made to rename Islampur as Ishwarpur or Alibaug as Shribaug but have not enjoyed much traction as earlier regimes didn’t respond to them. As a step in this direction, the state government has announced a grand tribute to Hindutva icon Veer Savarkar on February 26 at Bhagur, his birthplace near Nashik. More such celebrations are in the offing across the state.
Electioneering for the Kasba and Pimpri-Chinchwad assembly byelections has been caught in a communal blizzard in its last moments as NCP president Sharad Pawar has defended a controversial appeal to the voters by former Congress Pune corporator Usman Hiroli. Addressing an NCP meeting, Hiroli had said, “Bring all those back from Dubai or Saudi on February 26. Even those should be made to vote who are no more.” When quizzed by the media, Pawar said there was nothing wrong to call back those who may have gone to Dubai or Kathmandu. It would have been proper to object had Hiroli asked non-voters to vote, Pawar observed. In the speech, Hiroli is heard saying, “We can win this war, defeat Modi and the RSS, only when we vote, not just 99% but 100%.” Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has condemned the appeal, saying that this bypoll is a battle between the supporters and opponents of the removal of Article 370 to liberate Kashmir. It is an attempt to polarise society on religious lines, he alleged. In a bid to clarify his statement, Hiroli said that about 1500 young boys and girls from Kasba constituency are in Saudi, Dubai and Kuwait. “All I meant was that they should be called for voting as they frequently come here,” he explained.
NCP president Sharad Pawar’s suggestive response to a query about the swearing-in of an alliance of BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and his nephew Ajit Pawar in the morning of 23 November 2019 is indirectly endorsed by former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The mystery is becoming murkier as Ajit’s resolve to maintain silence over the sensational development is disregarded by Pawar. “Where is the need for Ajit to speak? Would the President’s Rule have been lifted if there were no swearing-in?” Pawar said obliquely on Wednesday (Feb 22) in Pune. Fadnavis had revealed a few days ago that the two-party government was formed with Pawar’s blessings and knowledge. Last month, NCP leader Jayant Patil, too, had remarked that the alliance was formed so that President’s Rule could end in Maharashtra. Patil had hurriedly retracted the statement but Fadnavis had reiterated it a few days ago, reopening the debate. In spite of the provocation, Ajit has been declining to discuss ‘a long past’ incident. However, his uncle has decided to give credence to whispers that all this planning was hatched for making Uddhav Thackeray the chief minister by showing that an elected government could be formed in Maharashtra. Koshyari said in an interview in Dehradun while backing this supposition, “Leaders of both parties came to me, showed me signatures of the supporting MLAs. I administered the oath to both.”
Uddhav faction Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has stunned the political circles in Maharashtra by alleging that notorious gangster Raja Thakur has been given a contract (Supari) to attack him by chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant, also MP. In a letter written to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, Raut said that Thakur is an ill-famed goon from Thane. While Shinde’s career began from Thane, Shrikant was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kalyan in Thane district. Thakur is a history sheeter from Thane, presently out on bail. Raut’s grave charge has come a couple of days after former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan has complained to the police that he has been followed by certain elements and expressed apprehensions about his own safety. Raut says in his letter, released to the media, that incidence of threatening elected representatives and attacking them has been on the increase though it is not Maharashtra’s culture. A copy of the complaint is sent to Thane’s commissioner of police as well. Raut’s complaint needs serious attention, according to his party leader Aaditya Thackeray. However, it has been trashed by senior minister Shambhuraj Desai, who said, “Raut levels false allegations without producing any evidence. This is a design to defame Shrikant Shinde.”
The Election Commission’s decision about the change of guard in Maharashtra is interpreted as a signal for a midterm election, considering the possibility of the Supreme Court ruling against the Shinde-Fadnavis alliance government. As the EC’s verdict is in favour of the Shinde faction, which has now the Shiv Sena name and symbol, leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – comprising the Sena (U), the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – are assessing the likelihood of the dissolution of the assembly by the government to force a snap poll. If this happens, the Shinde faction and the BJP will be better equipped to fight the election, according to thinking in MVA circles. Though the alliance is in a celebratory mood, its leaders have concentrated all their efforts on the two assembly byelections in Pune since any MVA win at this juncture can result in loss of face for the BJP, the dominant partner of the alliance. Interestingly, NCP president Sharad Pawar has already advised Uddhav that there would be no point in criticizing the EC’s decision since it is a constitutional body. “Instead, choose a new symbol and go ahead,” said Pawar. In this age of information technology, it will be easy to transmit the new symbol all over the state, he pointed out. Citing the splits in the Congress and other parties, he recalled how the new symbols were accepted by the electorate.
Shiv Sena (U) MP Sanjay Raut’s allegation that there was a sinister design to liquidate him in jail custody has been ridiculed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “Raut says something in the morning but does not remember it the same evening,” Fadnavis remarked. Raut had made the allegation while he was interacting with the media after calling on family members of Ratnagiri-based journalist Shashikant Warishe, killed last week under the wheels of a speeding vehicle. Warishe had been articulating the grievances of would-be project affected persons, who were protesting against the proposed oil refinery in the area. Following allegations that the journalist was killed by a member of the pro-refinery lobby, Fadnavis announced the establishment of a seven-member SIT to probe the incident. Raut said, “I am doubtful if the investigation by the SIT will be carried out honestly.” He reiterated that Warishe was killed and that it was not a death in a road accident. All three CCTVs where Warishe died were not functioning at the same time while footage from other CCTVs was not becoming available; the eight workers at the petrol pump nearby had been pressured not to give a statement, Raut said. The MP warned that the plot to eliminate him was known to many and he would throw more light on it at a proper time.
The bout of accusations and counter-accusation between the BJP and the NCP over the formation of government in Maharashtra by Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar soon after the 2019 assembly elections has now enveloped NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Though he has washed his hands off the whole affair, the BJP has challenged Pawar to come clean. “Ajit had come to your residence that morning to tell you about taking the oath with Fadnavis. You wanted it done in the interests of a stable government,” a BJP tweet said. The intriguing episode has been reopened by Fadnavis, whose second term as CM lasted just for 80 hours. “Sharad Pawar himself had blessed our coalition,” Fadnavis had revealed to a news channel. “If needed, I shall complete the story at a proper time,” he had indicated. Immediately thereafter, Sharad Pawar expressed displeasure over the ‘disclosures’ by Fadnavis. “I was holding Fadnavis to be a gentleman,” he said in anger but refused to say anything further. Detractors of Pawar point out that even after so much has happened, he continues to refuse to endorse Ajit as the next Maharashtra CM. Of late, Ajit has been attacking the BJP in more and more fierce language. This change in the otherwise cautious leader has been noticed and being discussed in hushed tones in the state.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Is Here To Stay…
Time, they say, flies—and how true that is. Here we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary. Five years ago, when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the globe, I took a leap of faith and launched Short Post, India’s first website for Authentic Gossip. That was on January 31, 2021. I was convinced there was a clear gap in the market for gossip that was credible, sharp, and impactful—especially if told in just 250 words.
In this, I was fortunate. Scores of senior editors across diverse verticals bought into the idea and, in the process, gave wings to my dream. Quite honestly, Short Post could not have crossed these milestones without the unflinching support of its contributing editors. Like all start-ups, we have seen our share of ups and downs, but these editors have stood by us like a rock. I take this opportunity to doff my hat to them.
Thanks to their commitment, we have published close to 5,000 stories spanning politics, business, entertainment, and sports. I say this with pride: we made our mark as people who matter read us. “Small packs, big impact” truly captures the essence of Short Post.
We all know that Covid-19 has reset businesses worldwide, and the media sector is no exception. In the post-Covid era, investors have become more cautious and selective—and advertisers too. To compound matters, the entry of AI has disrupted the media landscape in equal measure. So far, we have managed to hold our ground, hopeful that some angel investors will take a shine to us.
What gives me confidence is this: AI cannot smell news—especially the gossipy kind. In other words, AI cannot churn out Short Post-type stories, no matter the prompt. That puts us in a safe zone. As someone rightly said, “AI is a co-pilot, not a pilot.”