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Soon after returning from his 5-nation foreign tour PM Modi on May 21 chaired a marathon meeting of the Union Council of Ministers at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The high-level meeting, which began around 5 pm, lasted nearly four and a half hours and focused on governance reforms, administrative efficiency and the government’s long-term “Viksit Bharat 2047″ vision. Ministers whose departments disposed of files at the fastest pace were specially highlighted during the review exercise. Of course, while wrapping up the discussions PM Modi didn’t want the ministers to rest on their laurels. He told ministers that the time had come to focus on the future instead of revisiting past achievements. Emphasising on “Viksit Bharat 2047″ as national commitment, he directed ministers to ensure quicker decision-making and reduce bureaucratic delays. A key highlight of the meeting was that for the first time the high-level ministerial meeting organised by the PMO struck an austerity note. Endless cups of chai and bottled mineral water were of course served. What was missing were the usual round of snacks — biscuits and cashew nuts Imagine having endless cups of chai through the four hours. Ministers who were hoping that the meeting would end up with a dinner with PM Modi were clearly in for a shock. They didn’t expect PM Modi to administer a dose of austerity on his own Council of Ministers. Perhaps, PM Modi must have been aware that the ministerial meeting was being held amid the conflict in West Asia, rising fuel prices and the government’s efforts at mitigating these challenges. On May 11, PM Modi had appealed to the people to save the country’s foreign exchange reserves by cutting down on the use of fuel, postponing foreign travel and purchases of gold. He must have thought it is best to begin at home.
Maharashtra is rapidly emerging as India’s foremost energy powerhouse, backed by massive investments, strong industrial demand and an ambitious clean-energy transition. According to the Central Electricity Authority, Maharashtra’s total installed power capacity crossed 60,900 MW by February 2026, making it one of the country’s largest energy-producing states. Renewable energy alone accounts for over 31,600 MW, including nearly 19,364 MW of solar capacity, 5873 MW of wind power and significant hydro and biomass generation. The state has also unveiled an aggressive roadmap to meet 65% of its electricity demand through renewable energy by 2035-36. Thus, Maharashtra aims to create nearly 100 GW of renewable capacity along with large-scale battery and pumped-storage infrastructure. Its biggest landmark step is the recent Rs 6.5 lakh crore nuclear energy agreements signed with major companies such as Reliance Industries, Adani Power and NTPC Ltd. These projects alone are expected to add 25,400 MW of new power generation capacity and create more than 1.23 lakh jobs. With expanding thermal, solar, wind, hydro and nuclear sectors, Maharashtra is uniquely positioned to become India’s leading state in reliable, diversified and future-ready energy generation, strengthening its march towards a trillion-dollar economy. While Gujarat and Rajasthan currently lead in overall and renewable installed capacity, Maharashtra’s recent infrastructure push aims to fundamentally reshape its energy dominance. The state has rolled out an overarching plan to scale its total generation capacity 81,000 MW by 2030, drastically increasing the share of green energy.
The coming Rajya Sabha election to be held on 18 June will impact political equations in Maharashtra as all three ruling Mahayuti partners – the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) – are eager to augment their presence in the Upper House of Parliament. As election for the 17 seats on the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad is also scheduled to be held on the same day, tussle among the three parties has generated intense speculation. It appears that the BJP, the largest member of the tripartite coalition will grab the biggest number. Accordingly, for the Vidhan Parishad, the BJP will contest 12 seats while the Shiv Sena’s share will be of three seats and the NCP will get two slots. Given the numerical position in the state assembly, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi will not be able to win a single seat provided that there is no cross voting. But that possibility is very remote. While confabulations are underway day and night, all eyes are on firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal, a confidant of the late Ajit Pawar. Presently a minister in the government of Devedra Fadanvis, the OBC leader is said to be desirous of entering the Rajya Sabha. However, deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, widow of Ajitdada, is learnt to be not in favour of the idea. Instead, former Union minister of state Subodh Mohite is under consideration though his equation with senior NCP leader Praful Patel is a major factor in the choice as both hail from Vidarbha. Whatever happens, Fadnavis is determined to avert any infighting in the Mahayuti team.
Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay expanded his cabinet on May 21 — coinciding with the death anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi – by including his post-poll ally the Congress. Two of the five Congress MLAs, K Rajesh Kumar (Nadar Christian) and P Vishwanathan (Dalit MLA) became part of Vijay’s government. Ahead of the reshuffle, the Congress party said, “This is a historic occasion for us, as the Congress joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a long gap of 59 years.”. Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty wrote on X “Share in governance, Share in power”. It is not clear if the Congress is happy with their portfolios – Rajesh got Tourism and P Vishwanathan given Higher Education. What came in for a surprise is the way veteran leader K A Sengottaiyan was stripped of the Finance portfolio just five days after entrusting him with it. The Finance portfolio has now been given to first-time MLA N Marie Wilson. It is not clear if Sengottaiyan has been downsized as a signal that TVK has lost interest in breaking the AIADMK. It is also being presumed that his close aide Adhav Arjuna may have raised a red flag. Taking a cue from Keralam, Vijay has also carved out a separate AI-focused department to be headed by Velachery MLA R Kumar. Kumar is among the few qualified professionals who have got elected on TVK ticket. What has earned Vijay the kudos from the Hindus is the way he has allotted the Ministry for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HRCE) to his Brahmin MLA Ramesh from Srirangam — a temple town. This is perhaps happening for the first time in Tamil Nadu history.
In an extraordinary and historic moment for British politics and the global Indian community, Cllr Parveen Rani has officially been elected as the First Asian Mayor of Hertsmere Borough Council, while her son Cllr Tushar Kumar, aged just 23, has become the Youngest Mayor of the Elstree and Borehamwood Council Indian Origin in the United Kingdom. Together, they are believed to be the first mother-son duo in UK history — and possibly the world — to serve simultaneously as Mayors from different councils. This remarkable achievement has become a proud symbol of diversity, representation, youth leadership, and public service within modern Britain. Adding to the emotional and historic occasion, Mayor Parveen Rani appointed her younger son, Priyanshu Kumar, as her official Mayor’s Escort, making it a truly unforgettable family milestone in British civic history. The prestigious Mayor Making Ceremony was attended by a huge number of distinguished guests. Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, Cllr Jeremy Newmark, praised Mayor Parveen Rani’s exceptional rise in public life, stating: “What Parveen Rani has achieved in such a short period of time is truly remarkable. Many people spend decades trying to reach this position, but her dedication to public service, hard work, and commitment to the community have brought her to this level.” Mayor Parveen Rani is widely recognised for her work in education, culture, interfaith harmony, women’s empowerment, and strengthening community relations across Hertfordshire and beyond. From founding community initiatives to representing diverse voices in public life, she has become a respected and inspiring figure across the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Mayor Tushar Kumar’s historic appointment at the age of 23 is already inspiring a new generation of young British Asians to engage in leadership, politics, and civic responsibility.
Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay is expanding his cabinet on May 21 which will see his post-poll allies the Congress, VCK and IUML joining his government. Two of the Congress MLAs, K Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan will be part of Vijay’s government. In its official statement, the party said, “This is a historic occasion for us, as the Congress joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a long gap of 59 years.” The last Congress government was in 1967. Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty wrote on X “Share in governance, Share in power”. Chief minister Vijay had publicly greeted Praveen as his “friend” in Rahul Gandhi’s presence. It was Praveen who had been pushing for an alliance with the TVK. Will entry of Congress ministers solve Vijay’s problem of managing temples in the state? Difficult to say. Congress sources said the majority of its five MLAs are Christians including Rajesh. Meanwhile, Sivaganaga MP Karti Chidambaram seemed relieved that Vijay had steered clear of rebel AIADMK MLAs. In an article in The Week, he admits that “those who had suggested an alliance with the TVK before the election were proven right…And, the Congress adds great value to the TVK by giving it a national endorsement and a secular sheen. So, in my estimation, it is a win-win situation.” At the same time, he feels that the Congress could have managed DMK exit better. By joining the TVK government will it motivate young people to join the Congress? “The Congress is not going to be their first choice; the TVK is a more logical choice”, feels Chidambaram. He feels, Rahul Gandhi with his rapport among the young will prove positive when it comes to a national election. It will probably work in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
The new vice chairman of NITI Aayog Ashok Lahiri is expected to play a key role to reposition West Bengal as an industrial and manufacturing hub. Lahiri, who won the 2021 Assembly election from Balurghat as a BJP candidate, knows Bengal inside out. The Modi government is expected to rely on his expertise to prepare a long-term industrial revival plan for Bengal. Officials associated with NITI Aayog said preliminary discussions on the roadmap have begun under Lahiri’s leadership. The proposed framework focuses on manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure, river-based trade and employment generation, with Kolkata positioned as a gateway to India’s “Act East” strategy for stronger engagement with Southeast and East Asia. Once India’s second-richest state by GDP after Independence, West Bengal now ranks sixth nationally. Economists have attributed the decline to excessive trade unionism, administrative failures leading to weak industrial investment. Major factory closures during the Left Front era and limited industrial expansion during TMC’s regime also contributed to the downturn. Industry experts also cite the long-term impact of the Singur and Nandigram agitations on investor confidence. Many skilled workers migrated to cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad for better opportunities. NITI Aayog’s proposed strategy will focus on logistics, connectivity, manufacturing, ports, freight corridors, skill development and job creation. Policymakers are examining revival measures for engineering, chemicals, textiles and electronics industries, while also exploring a semiconductor corridor linked to eastern India’s mineral belt. Economists, however, caution that land acquisition challenges, weak infrastructure, financially stressed urban bodies and bureaucratic inertia could slow implementation. Analysts said investor confidence may have improved after the political change, but the success of the industrial push will depend on administrative execution and policy delivery.
The home international season (2026-2027) is set to start with a one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh (Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium at Mullanpur) from June 6 to 10. Strangely though, it will be the only Test Shubman Gill’s team will play this year, and it will not be part of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle. India’s next Test programme is in Sri Lanka in August and in New Zealand in October-November, both included in the WTC programme. It will be Mullanpur’s debut Test and what’s of interest is the kind of surface India will prefer against an attack that will be led by leg-spin googly bowler Rashid Khan who took 11 wickets against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in January 2025. Khan has 5 x5 wicket hauls including 2 x 7s and 1x 6 and has win four Tests for his side. Eight years ago, India won the only Test played against Afghanistan hands down, and Rashid was not a real force then in multi-day Tests, but the canny leg-spinner is experienced now, though not by much — 6 Tests and 45 wickets. India came a cropper to the spinners in the last two home series against New Zealand and South Africa and lost all five Tests, preparing turning tracks. India were all at sea against the Kiwi left-arm spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel and the South African offy Simon Harmer. Rohit Sharma was the captain who lost 0-3 and Gill was the captain against South Africa. It’s not known whether off spinner Allah Ghazanfar will be part of the Afghanistan team, but on a turning surface, Rashid Khan could prove to be a handful to deal with support from Ghazanfar.
It seems the DMK has still not come to terms with losing elections. Or else why would the former chief minister M K Stalin take a jibe at TVK leader Joseph Vijay. Speaking at a wedding reception in Thanjavur, Stalin said, “TVK leader Vijay became CM by influencing children through Instagram, without even appointing booth agents properly.” Why is the DMK behaving like a sour loser? Is it because CM Vijay has already drawn up a plan to act against corrupt DMK ministers? It is being said that the DMK is very upset not so much with the TVK winning 107 seats but TN voters that had chosen to decisively move away to a different kind of politics after accepting electoral gifts from it. The DMK would have accepted the verdict if the people had voted for the familiar alternative — the AIADMK. What has unsettled the DMK is that the people voted for an untested TVK. Vijay was offering to start afresh with a clean slate and had refused to offer voters any incentive for voting him in, except the freebies such as a whopping unemployment allowance and improving allowance for women. Voters had gladly accepted their electoral gifts from the Dravidian parties and yet voted for TVK. In fact, in an angry outburst, DMK Tiruchendur MLA Anitha Radhakrishnan said the TVK administration would not last six months. He insisted that his DMK boss would return soon. Upset about Stalin’s defeat to a TVK candidate from Kolathur, Radhakrishnan blamed voters for defeating Stalin. “Our boss had changed Kolathur to Singapore,” and called the voters “worthless”. Meanwhile actor Rajinikanth’s clarification that he is not jealous about Vijay having made the cut as CM is a bit odd. Old timers recall his influence on Tamil politics — how his one call vote for DMK-Tamil Maanila Congress alliance in 1996 had brought down J Jayalalithaa government!
Efforts of the Congress leadership to include Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay in the swearing in ceremony of United Democratic Front CM V D Satheesan in Keralam on May 18 has apparently not succeeded. Taking a cue from PM Modi who makes it a point to showcase NDA strength whenever BJP forms government in a state, the Congress too thought it would showcase the long-standing bond between TVK supremo Vijay and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Though Vijay has accepted post-poll support of five Congress MLAs in TN and even visited Satya Murthy Bhawan in Chennai, he is yet to formally expand his cabinet to include those MLAs who backed his government during trust vote. Congress sources said CM Vijay would not be attending the Keralam swearing in. He is clearly too focussed on governance issues. If at all he travels, his first trip will be only to Delhi to meet with PM Modi and other leaders in Delhi. That leaves only three Congress CMs — Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Revanth Reddy (Telangana) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukku (Himachal Pradesh) — who will be present at the function at Thiruvananthapuram. Both Rahul and his sister Priyanka who is Wayanad Lok Sabha MP will attend, so too Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Karnataka’s deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar will also be present.
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.
Former Union minister Milind Deora is emerging as a frontrunner for one of the Rajya Sabha seats which is among the six that are falling vacant from the state next month. According to the present statistics, all but one seat can be bagged by the three-party ruling alliance. The sixth seat can be won by the Congress party easily as it has the requisite vote quota, which is 42, to win the election. The Congress has 44 members in the lower house of Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar have around 16 MLAs in their camps. Thus, even if they join hands for the election which is held in the open, they will have little chance of any victory. Moreover, the state assembly speaker, Rahul Narwekar, has ruled that the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde is the real party. Hence, its whip will be binding on Uddhav’s supporter MLAs. Likewise, a hearing is going on about the disqualification or otherwise of the MLAs with Pawar. If the speaker’s ruling goes in favour of Ajit Pawar, the MLAs will have to obey the whip of the breakaway NCP. In that situation, the Congress will be the only opposition party left in the field. Deora has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Given his proximity with Shinde, the hopefuls in that camp will find it prudent to support the former South Mumbai MP.
Even as sparring over the verdict of Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar is raging, the Shiv Sena faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde has gone on the offensive against the bloc led by Uddhav Thackeray. An immediate fallout could be a threat to start breach of privileges action against rival Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut for their utterances against the speaker and the state legislature. In fact, Raut was the object of an inquiry for similar reasons in March 2023, too. This was after members from the ruling BJP and Sena had objected to his alleged comments wherein he had described the state legislature as “chor mandal”. Raut repeated the remarks on 10 January, immediately after Narvekar had pronounced his findings whereby MLAs from both Sena factions were spared of disqualification. Likewise, Aaditya could face action for calling Narvekar ‘shameless’ (Nirlajja) in front of channel cameras. Besides the privilege proceedings, the Shinde camp has started maintaining that as the rival faction MLAs will continue as members of the house, they will have to honour the party’s whip on the floor of the legislature. In a sharp retort, the Uddhav faction has claimed that it has been recognised as a different political party by the speaker so the whip compliance does not arise. Both sides have taken a combative stand, giving ample indications that the battle will go on in court of law as well as on the street.
The storm created by Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar’s judgment, which has rejected demands from both sides to disqualify certain MLAs from either side, will continue in judicial forums and on ground, too. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has summarily rejected the verdict, announcing that it will knock on the Supreme Court’s doors. The Congress and the NCP have supported Uddhav’s criticism. This situation is expected to cement the I.N.D.I.A front in the state further, accelerating the on-going talks about seat sharing for the Lok Sabha election. On the other hand, the ruling three-party alliance is feeling exhilarated as it appears certain that chief minister Eknath Shinde will continue in office till the Apex Court takes cognizance of the matter. The million dollar question is: when will it happen. Considering the functioning of the Apex Court, it will be too optimistic to expect it to take up and dispose of in a short while. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Maharashtra on Friday, 12 January, to inaugurate the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project is likely to prove a game changer. The PM is likely to make some major announcement for the state, especially owing to its contribution in the celebrations planned for 22 January in Ayodhya. His comments about the present political development, hence, are awaited with baited breath by both sides.
Erstwhile Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will emulate his social crusader grandfather Prabhodankar Thackeray, social reformer Sane Guruji and Indian constitution’s architect Dr BR Ambedkar, come January 22. He will seek blessings from Lord ‘Kala Ram’ coinciding with Bharatiya Janata Party’s installation of ‘Ram Lalla’ at Ayodhya. Thackeray received no invite to attend the Ram Mandir ceremony over severed ties with BJP but, through this political masterstroke, intends to hold sway over the 48 parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra. Thackeray’s party smartly tied up with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) over a seat sharing formula being worked out currently and hopes to attract Dalit votes in addition to his party’s traditional vote bank. Angry Shiv Sainiks anxiously await general elections to vent their rage over alleged political betrayal by former compatriots now under CM Eknath Shinde who rebelled against the heir of the late Sena supremo even as Uddhav has smartly tapped into the Dalit vote bank. In the early 1900s Maharashtra’s social crusader Sane Guruji and subsequently, Dr Ambedkar launched crusades to allow Dalits prayer rights at the KalaRam temple. Thackeray is certain his traditional vote bank will be bolstered by the Dalit community that had even given his party (under late Balasaheb) a run for its money in its own backyard of Mumbai city in the late 1970s. Thackeray has also put the Congress and NCP allies on guard by deputing colleagues to attend I.N.D.I.A’s seat sharing meet while locally insisting on the tiger’s share in Maharashtra.
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.
How politics brings strange bedfellows together has been endorsed once again after a meeting between farmers’ leader Raju Shetti and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. A former MP and BJP’s sympathiser, Shetti had walked out of the arrangement after he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Uddhav has teamed up with the Congress and the NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction. Shetti was a sworn foe of Congress parties over farmers’ demands. In the changed atmosphere, Shetti has shaken hands with Uddhav as both are opposing the Adani group’s projects in Maharashtra. While Uddhav has declared war against Adani over the Dharavi slum redevelopment plan, Shetti has alleged that the Adani group is making preparations to divert the Patgaon dam’s water from Kolhapur to neighbouring Sindhudurg district for electricity generation in its power plant there. Shetti has reiterated that the Union government has favoured Adani by slashing duty on soybean oil, hitting domestic growers of the oilseed. Shetti’s outburst against Adani and his talks with Uddhav have led to guessing new combinations in political circles. Shetti had invited the ire of top leader Sharad Pawar over the sugarcane growers’ agitation but patched up later with him. It was said at the time that he had switched sides to get nominated to the state legislative council. Now, his adversaries have charged that Shetti is mending fences with Uddhav for the next Lok Sabha election.
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.
Senior Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has rubbed salt into Uddhav Thackeray’s wound over the denial of invite to him for the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony as his bete noire Raj Thackeray has been invited to attend the 22 January inaugural in Ayodhya. The absence of any such communication for his cousin Uddhav has been lambasted by Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leaders over the past few days. Taking a dig at this discomfiture, Mahajan quipped, “Uddhav is just a legislator. Perhaps he is not in the Centre’s VVIP list.” When it was pointed out that Uddhav had donated Rs 1 crore for the temple, Mahajan retorted that many people had made such donations. “Let Sena MP Sanjay Raut show me a picture wherein Uddhav is seen performing Kar Seva,” he challenged. A close confidant of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and a trouble shooter for the three-party government in Maharashtra, Mahajan minced no words while praising the outright stand taken by late Balasaheb Thackeray about the temple, sharpening his attack against Uddhav. “It is one thing to just support some mission by staying at home and quite another to actually toil for it. We were in jail during the temple revival movement,” Mahajan said, reflecting indirectly the stock criticism that Uddhav ran the government for two and a half years by staying at Matoshree, visiting Mantralaya only thrice.
Exactly a month from now the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple in Ayodhya would have been inaugurated by PM Modi on January 22. Yet, what is really making news is that if those being left out of the event — like Uddhav Thackeray are complaining about being missing from the guest list, it seems those included like Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, are not too happy about receiving the invites. The two leaders received the invites personally from Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to PM Modi and chairman of the temple construction committee of Shri Ram Janmboomi Teerth Trust. Have the Ayodhya invites put the Congress leaders in a fix? Probably. That is because neither Sonia nor Kharge are known to patronise temples or are practising Hindus. Lok Sabha MP Adhir Choudhury too has been invited. When asked whether any of their leaders would be at Ayodhya, party functionary KC Venugopal curtly replied, “You will know about the party’s stand… on January 22.” Party sources said the Congress leadership seems to be guided by the Left Parties and the DMK which want to mobilise counter opinion against Ram temple. However, at the CWC meeting Kerala leader Ramesh Chennithala who took a strong position in the Sabarimala Temple issue and forced the CPI(M)to change its stand, suggested that the Congress ought to form a panel to assess mood within the party. He felt any move against the Ram temple could cost party votes in the North. Brushing aside such fears a CWC member said,”Ram temple will matter only in UP. In Bihar, we tackle Ram with caste census.”
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s protest march against the government’s decision to entrust the redevelopment of Dharavi, the largest slum of Asia, to the controversial Adani Group has been highlighted more for the fireworks between the protagonists and detractors of Adani than forcing the authorities from taking any concrete action. The redevelopment of the project worth thousands of crores of rupees had been pending for decades. During Uddhav’s chief ministership, too, the plan to redevelop Dharavi was hanging fire. While Uddhav made several demands while leading the protest in Mumbai on Saturday (Dec 16), his opponents trapped him by demanding to know what steps he had taken during his tenure for Dharavi. Some went to the extent of alleging that the tacit intent of the march was quite different and was linked with Uddhav’s new residence, Matoshree-II, at nearby Kala Nagar in Bandra East. The present plan which Adani will implement envisages giving units of 500 sq ft each to the eligible slum dwellers. Earlier, units of 400 sq ft were offered. Uddhav has demanded units of 750 sq ft. The oft-repeated charge that the Union government was bent upon separating Mumbai from Maharashtra was once again heard and the BJP’s expected response that no such conspiracy is hatching has followed. The fate of the beneficiaries will depend upon the turns the state politics takes as changing sides is becoming a commonplace activity in Maharashtra.
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.
Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar’s silence over the political slugfest that is raging in the state is intriguing since his one-time right hand Praful Patel is now made the whipping boy to corner the three-party regime in Maharashtra by the Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) after former minister Nawab Malik’s arrival in the picture. Patel had been Pawar’s emissary in Delhi over the past two decades and had represented him for resolving various ticklish political crises. Very recently, Patel had played a significant role in establishing the Uddhav government by holding talks with then Congress leader Ahmed Patel. Now he has joined the NCP faction led by state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. As the BJP has publicly objected to Malik’s inclusion in Ajit’s party, the past of Praful Patel is dug up to embarrass the Shinde-Fadnavis-Ajit government. The Congress and the Sena (Uddhav) have reminded the rulers that Patel had been raided by ED some time ago and have alleged his connection with infamous fugitive Iqbal Mirchi. “If Nawab is not OK, how come Patel is OK?” the barbs from the two parties have asked. While so much has been happening in the state, Sharad Pawar’s total mum regarding his former Man Friday has given rise to fresh speculation. Ajit has added to the mystery by refusing to say a word about Malik, who as well has remained mute
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar wants four Lok Sabha seats, including Shirur, Satara, Raigad, Baramati won by NCP in 2019 and hopes to get some more. Pawar wants to field son Parth from Shirur, believing he holds sway over his political karmabhoomi of western Maharashtra. Uncle Sharad Pawar issued patronising sound-bites over his nephew’s political plans seeking to undermine him. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP and Shiv Sena fought general elections in alliance but now, will battle each other even as CM Shinde’s Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP seek to adversely impact votes accruing to the (undivided) Shiv Sena and NCP respectively. In 2024, BJP, Shinde led Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP will square up against Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Congress (that has held its flock together). BJP suggested Shinde field new candidates, since only two/three of his Sena MPs may get re-elected, citing internal surveys. Shinde emphasized his responsibility to secure the political future of his MPs and may, on the brink of elections, even ask them to contest as BJP candidates to still keep his word. Uddhav Thackeray may re-launch political touring soon. Few political pundits credited him for political acumen, making stark comparisons with Balasaheb Thackeray, though the former chief minister of Maharashtra got 63 Shiv Sena MLAs elected in 2014 after BJP severed political ties. His late father had publicly lamented his party’s inability to cross the 60 MLAs benchmark in Maharashtra.
With general elections few months away, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has rejigged his strategy that will see him increasing his public appearances. For now, he has declared that he will be visiting Palghar district outside Mumbai soon, admitting that he had not paid attention to the area which had elected his candidate to the Lok Sabha in 2019. Uddhav has been constantly criticised for not venturing out Matoshree, his family residence located in suburban Bandra. The criticism was sharp when he was the chief minister for over two years. “You have not visited Mantralaya even two and a half times,” his arch detractor Narayan Rane would say over and over again. Besides undertaking a few trips within the state and except for attending a couple of I.N.D.I.A meetings, Uddhav has stayed mostly in Mumbai and in Matoshree in particular. But it seems he will now become more active by appearing in public. Another possible reason for his aggressive posture could be the frequent media interactions his cousin Raj Thackeray has been enjoying, the latest regarding his victory on the issue of displaying Marathi boards in Mumbai by commercial establishments. Uddhav felt particularly aggrieved as some posters describing chief minister Eknath Shinde as “Hindu Hriday Samrat,” came up a couple of days ago. As the title was bestowed upon Balasaheb Thackeray Uddhav said, “The saboteurs will be taught a fitting lesson by the people in the coming election.”
Uddhav and Raj Thackeray rarely sing the same tune. But Union home minister Amit Shah has now provided them the fodder and both have used it to lambast the BJP. In almost simultaneous media conferences, Uddhav came down heavily on a statement made by Shah. He was meeting the media in Mumbai. In next door Thane, cartoonist Raj lampooned Shah. An irate Uddhav wondered how the Election Commission had not taken any cognisance of Shah’s inducement to the voters in Madhya Pradesh. He said Shah had promised the MP voters free of cost visits to Ayodhya if the BJP returned to power in the state. Uddhav recalled his father Balasaheb Thackeray and some Shiv Sena leaders and legislators were barred by the EC for six years from even voting on charges that the Sena had resorted to Hindutva in the 1987 Vile Parle assembly byelection which the party had won. “Has the EC revised its rules? If so, let all parties know about it,” Uddhav taunted. He has written a complaint to the EC to demand an explanation. Raj, with tongue in cheek, advised the BJP to open a tour and travel agency. He also took the opportunity to attack NCP leader Sharad Pawar. The MNS chief reiterated that casteism in Maharashtra has proliferated ever since the NCP was founded in 1999 by Pawar.
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
His resounding victory in the local body elections has brought Ajit Pawar to the centre stage of Maharashtra politics. Two days after Ajit Pawar announced that he would be inaccessible due to dengue, he flummoxed all by holding back to back meetings with Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar in Pune and Union home minister Amit Shah at New Delhi the same day. The deputy CM, who has made no bones about his chief ministerial ambitions, is expected to claim his pound of flesh from the BJP having proved his electoral mettle after branching out independently from his uncle’s party. Speculations about change of guard in Maharashtra have also gained currency thanks to talk of Eknath Shinde government set to fall by December 31 as predicted by leaders like Uddhav Thackeray. That is the deadline set by the Supreme Court to decide on disqualification of legislators of the Ekanth Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. Claims of independent legislator Ravi Rana that Ajit Pawar is trying to convince his uncle to throw in his weight behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has only muddied waters further. There had been much talk that the BJP had promised Ajit Pawar the CM’s chair only if he could get his uncle into the BJP alliance. The junior Pawar has been upset at his powers being clipped by the chief minister who reportedly has directed all finance department files to be sent to him. He was also upset at his supporters not being accommodated in ministerial berths and corporations.
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.
Drugs kingpin Lalit Patil and his brother Bhushan enjoyed 5-Star lifestyle, had purchased at least 8 kg of gold and had knit a network of suppliers and retailers for drugs throughout the country. The Patil brothers had, in fact, set up a factory to produce 50 kg per day of drugs called Mephedrone near Nashik. Ever since Patil was arrested, more and more shocking details have been coming out. Although Patil’s health problem was minor, he was resting in the government-run Sassoon Hospital in Pune for a long time. During his hospitalisation, rooms in nearby posh hotels were booked in his name. Payments for the rooms were made through a bank account. His closest accomplices included two women, now in Mumbai police custody. Pradnya Kamble and Archana Nikam, both hailing from Nashik, were seen with Patil time and again. Video clips of Patil and the women meeting outside the hospital are in possession of the police. Their initial investigations have led to the recovery of 3 kg of the gold the brothers had purchased in Nashik. The police have so far arrested two more suspects who had been helping Patil in the drug production and distribution. The alleged political links Patil has had are providing ammunition to both camps in Maharashtra as charges and counter-charges are flying thick and fast. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated that several skeletons are going to tumble out of the proverbial cupboard very soon. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has posed several questions to him about Patil and his activities.
The multi-crore drugs racket that originated in Nashik in north Maharashtra is becoming murkier by the day as now the name of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been dragged into the controversy. Nashik’s guardian minister Dada Bhuse has alleged that the kingpin of the scandal, Lalit Patil was admitted into the then Shiv Sena by Thackeray. Bhuse’ allegation comes a couple of days after Sena (Uddhav) leader Sushma Andhare levelled serious charges against him and another minister Shambhuraje Desai. While Bhuse has hit back orally, Desai has sent a legal action notice to Andhare, giving indications that it is going to be a long-drawn battle. According to Bhuse, Patil’s entry into Sena happened around the time Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut was liaison in-charge for north Maharashtra. He was talking with the media after Raut led a protest march in Nashik against the drug menace. Bhuse warned that those receiving regular hafta from Patil will soon be exposed. Why was Raut camping in Nashik every month, what was happening in the Express Inn, he demanded to know. In his counter-attack, Raut maintained that such a huge racket could not continue for so long unless there was political patronage to the perpetrators. He has demanded Bhuse’s resignation on moral grounds. The matter will get more traction as one accomplice after another of Patil is caught in the police net.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his successor Eknath Shinde as well as embittered BJP leader Pankaja Munde are scheduled to address public rallies on 24 October on the occasion of Dussehra, which is considered the ‘Seemollanghan’ (crossing the frontier) moment in India. As the Lok Sabha and then the state assembly election are slated to take place in 2024, these rallies will prove to be a watershed development in Maharashtra politics. While the Shiv Sena has been holding Dussehra rallies for decades, Pawar will be addressing a Dussehra rally for the first time in his political career of over half a century. The rally to be held in Pune will be keenly watched as the second city of the state is a stronghold of Ajit Pawar, who has left his uncle’s side. After that sensational event, how Pawar outlines his future moves will determine the course of many political decisions in the state. In Mumbai, both Sena factions will have their separate rallies. While Uddhav will address his followers from the centrally located Shivaji Park, the traditional Sena venue, the man who displaced him, Eknath Shinde, will hold his rally at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, which has witnessed many landmark events during the freedom struggle. Pankaja will exhale much fury but not expected to precipitate decision.
There was a plan to eliminate the present Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, who could survive only because he decided to walk out of the united Shiv Sena, one of his confidants has alleged. The charge has been refuted by the supporters of then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Buldhana MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who followed Shinde out of the Sena last year, said he was making this statement with utmost responsibility. An indirect endorsement of the serious charge has been made by cabinet minister Shambhuraje Desai, who also left the Sena along with Shinde. According to Gaikwad, the threat to Shinde’s life emanated from the Naxalites when he was guardian minister of the tribal Gadchiroli district. It was recommended in view of the perception that Shinde should be provided with Z-Plus security. A file was prepared following this and sent to Uddhav for his signature as it was the CM’s prerogative to sanction the cover. Desai, who was a minister of state for home under Uddhav, said he repeatedly tried to follow up the matter but never heard from the CM office. Gaikwad did not name Uddhav or any individual but said a telephone call had been received from Matoshri for holding up the file when a meeting was underway at Desai’s residence to discuss the matter. Gaikwad said the plan was to engineer Shinde’s murder by making him vulnerable to the Naxals.
The next bout of clash between the two Shiv Sena factions is expected to intensify next week over each side’s claim for the Shivaji Park ground reservation for the traditional Dussehra rally, to be held on October 24. The sprawling ground in the heart of Mumbai has had a symbiotic association with the Sena since Balasaheb Thackeray had announced the formation of the militant organisation from this venue in 1966. The Sena headquarters, Shiv Sena Bhavan, is just outside the ground. Last year, too, there was a tussle between the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde for the ground reservation and the matter had reached the high court. The verdict came in favour of Thackeray and the Shinde faction held its Dussehra rally at BKC grounds in Bandra (East). As a precaution this time, both factions have submitted their applications for the ground reservation at the civic G-North municipal ward. As the application received first is accorded priority and the ground is reserved in its name, suspense has been created about the timeline of the submission of the two applications. Thackeray’s activist Mahesh Sawant and Shinde’s supporter MLA, Sada Sarwankar, are the two applicants. However, civic officials have declared that the matter will be examined on Tuesday since Mumbai is under a 5-day holiday till Monday owing to Ganesh Immersion, Eid and Gandhi Jayanti.
Alarmed by the unrelenting stance of DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on his utterances about sanatana dharma, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly called up his aunt and Thoothukkudi Lok Sabha MP K Kanimozhi to get her nephew to tone down. Rahul communicated with Kani before he left on his Europe tour this week. Initial efforts to get Udhayanidhi to pipe down were made via senior DMK leader TR Baalu by several Congress leaders. It was explained to him how junior Stalin’s utterances could wreck prospects of the Congress in the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath made it clear to Rahul how Udhayanidhi’s open threat to vanquish believing Hindus like malaria/dengue had already upset a winning electoral game for the Congress in MP. It was only then that Rahul decided to dial Kanimozhi, so that she may persuade her brother and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Unfortunately, Udhayanidhi seemed too reluctant to backtrack. I.N D.I.A .front allies like the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena UBT were upset with his utterances against Hindus. In a desperate attempt to win back support of I.N.D.I.A for his son, Stalin pits him against PM Modi and hopelessly drags in Modi’s directions to his ministers that Udhayanidhi’s remarks against sanatana dharma should be strongly countered. He said it was unfair for PM Modi to make “comments” without knowing what his son spoke. Fed up with DMK’s obstinacy, Congress has distanced itself from the Stalins.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin chose to give his closing address of the 28-party I.N.D.I.A meet at Mumbai in Tamil. The only South Indian chief minister present on the dais, Stalin just started off in Tamil without any warning. His colleague, six-times Parliamentarian TR Baalu, who was with him on the dais, neither translated his address nor bothered to explain the context to either the delegates or the press. All the other speakers including Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, chose to address in Hindi except for Sitaram Yechury who spoke in English. A delegate, who was part of the I.N.D.I.A front internal meet, revealed that Stalin failed to fully participate in the internal meetings, due to the language barrier. “Stalin always kept his counterpart TR Baalu around him. Baalu presented the party view at the internal meetings while Stalin merely followed the proceedings in English,” a delegate informed. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been a strong opponent of imposition of Hindi. Stalin started his short address with a greeting of ‘Vanakkam’ and went on to explain how the I.N.D.I.A front has not come together with the quest for power but with the resolve to protect the nation, its constitution, the society and cultural values. Soon after he wrapped up his speech, he left the dais along with Baalu.
The multi-party I.N.D.I.A front is already besieged with the issue of electing its contender for the post of Prime Minister as former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, too, has indirectly expressed his willingness to enter the fray. Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal are already believed to be in the race. The I.N.D.I.A front has started on a good footing as leaders of most prominent Opposition parties have arrived in Mumbai for the two-day meet. Though the previous two meetings, held in Patna and Bengaluru, could not decide on any of the major policy issues, the Mumbai meet will attempt to arrive at a consensus on the front’s logo, agenda and collective leadership. SP’s Juhi Singh has announced the name of Akhilesh for premiership. According to her, Akhilesh has established his credentials to hold the top post. AAP’s Priyanka Kakkar has praised Kejriwal’s performance as Delhi CM and has cited his various decisions like holding the price line in the national capital by subsidizing water, power, education and free bus travels for women. She claimed that he will be able to do it for the entire country, too, given an opportunity. Uddhav’s candidature has been declared by party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, recalling his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. As all three names are forwarded by women leaders, the outcome will be awaited eagerly.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has retracted his remarks about his nephew and breakaway group leader Ajit Pawar within hours, contradicting his daughter Supriya Sule as well in the same breath. Pawar’s public statement that “Ajit is a leader of our party” was flashed by social media within moments after it was made. Nearly four hours later, Pawar said he had never made any such claim. Moreover, Supriya’s assertion that Ajit was the party leader was also rubbished by Pawar. To top it all, Pawar flatly refused that there was a split in the party. He said certain members of the party had taken a different stand but it could not be termed as a split. Pawar’s diametrically opposite statements have created a question mark for the proposed I.N.D.I.A meet to be held in Mumbai next week. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Sanjay Raut maintained that Ajit’s desertion of the NCP was very much a split. The Ajit group had appointed Sunil Tatkare as its own Maharashtra president while Pawar had continued Jayant Patil in that post. If there are two presidents of the same unit, is it not a split, Raut posed a counter question. Ajit Pawar was quizzed by the media in Pune about his uncle’s and cousin’s confusing statements. He merely said, “No comment” and walked away, deepening the suspense over the possibility of bridging the NCP’s split.
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.
Thackeray brothers, Uddhav and Raj, could interact with each other in the near future if the feelers flying back and forth materialize in some actual contact between the estranged leaders. Uddhav is reported to have said that he could call Raj for some audio clips of Balasaheb Thackeray’s speeches which are in possession of the MNS founder. But Uddhav added a rider by saying, “Provided that Raj accepts my call.” The statement was in reference to a collection Uddhav is building up of Balasaheb’s audio and video clips. It was Raj who had published a beautiful photo-biography of Balasaheb Thackeray when he was alive and Raj was in the parent party. The gala function was graced by BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee. While gathering material for the book, Raj could obtain several audios of Balasaheb’s speeches between the years 1966 and 1990. Raj broke away from the main party and was rarely seen with Uddhav, once when the latter was hospitalized for a surgery and on another occasion when Sharad Pawar’s platinum jubilee was celebrated in an all-party function. Nonetheless, their acolytes have been lampooning each other. The same happened due to Uddhav’s remark as Raj’s close associate Sandip Deshpande hit back, “Raj Thackeray accepts anyone’s calls. Hence, Uddhav should not have any misgivings on this count. Why is this a matter of ego while saluting Balasaheb’s memory?” The outcome now will depend upon who makes the first move.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has once more foxed all political observers by denying before the Election Commission that his party has split. Moreover, he refused to issue a whip for his party’s Rajya Sabha members to oppose the Delhi Services Bill which was adopted by the Upper House late Monday night. Pawar’s nephew and breakaway group leader Ajit, in a reciprocal move, also did not issue any whip for the bill. On top of it, Ajit’s staunch supporter Praful Patel remained absent when voting took place on the bill. All this happened within a few days when Pawar heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune. As far as the Rajya Sabha suspense is concerned, had either group issued a whip, anti-defection law provisions could have been invoked. Union home minister Amit Shah’s welcome of Ajit in the Shinde-Fadnavis government again raised Shiv Sena (Uddhav) faction’s hackles. This, too, happened in Pune. Pawar’s next move will, therefore, be watched with considerable interest by both sides. Another interesting sidelight of this unfolding drama is the role played by Praful Patel. He is the only leader to have attended the first INDIA meeting of various Opposition parties as a Pawar emissary and the ruling NDA’s golden jubilee celebrations as Ajit’s advisor. It has been noted by political observers that both NCP factions have refrained from attacking each other publicly.
A plethora of forecasts about installing NCP’s rebel leader Ajit Pawar as Maharashtra chief minister has stirred the state politics, more so because former CM Prithviraj Chavan has even announced the tentative date of the changeover. Ever since Ajit Pawar left the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government, his supporters have launched a campaign to project him as the next CM. Whereas the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has been harping from day one that making Ajit a DCM is the gameplan of the BJP which will soon replace present incumbent Eknath Shinde, the statement by Prithviraj has surprised many. Prithviraj once belonged to the Group 23. Though not a mass leader, his equation with Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge has been quite good. Prithviraj said he had received the indication about the replacement of Shinde from Delhi but declined to divulge more details. He said the change can occur around August 10. The speculation about Shinde’s future has renewed after he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week along with his family. This was described as a farewell call by some Opposition leaders. Shinde himself has maintained silence about the developments but Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis has declared in no uncertain terms that Shinde will continue to remain the CM. “This is made clear to Ajit,” he said.
Nationalist Congress party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar’s decision to receive two delegations of the breakaway group led by nephew Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar over the past two days has once again rattled the Congress party in Maharashtra. However, the NCP’s both factions have adopted an aggressive attitude, claiming that it is a matter within the family. Pawar first met the nine ministers who took oath just a week ago under the leadership of Ajit Pawar. On July 17, Saheb met various NCP MLAs who had walked out with Ajit. While spokesmen from both sides have maintained that Pawar gave them a patient hearing but did not make any remark, the explanation has raised fresh misgivings. The Congress was in an upbeat mood after the NCP’s split, followed by the Shiv Sena’s division last year, since their decimation had created the possibility of going to the Leader of Opposition post in both houses to the Congress. Worried by the prospects of a patch-up within the NCP, several Congress leaders have questioned Pawar’s consent to meet the defectors. The disquiet was accentuated as the MLAs loyal to Pawar remained away from a collective protest demonstration held by the legislators belonging to the Congress and the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray. The close friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pawar has remained an enigma for a long time. It is in discussion again.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s felicitation in Pune on 1 August 2023 with the prestigious ”Tilak Award” promises to be a major event as various political shades in Maharashtra will share the dais, notwithstanding their differences. Chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde, who is a trust member, will be among those present for the ceremony. This has been announced by Rohit Tilak, trustee of the Lokmanya Tilak Trust, which has been decorating achievers from different fields over the years. Modi’s acceptance to grace the 103rd death anniversary function of Lokmanya Tilak will be significant in many ways, most importantly owing to the BJP’s all out efforts to decimate the NCP’s faction loyal to Pawar and the Shiv Sena bloc with Uddhav Thackeray. Also, it will be for the first time that nephew Ajit Pawar will be meeting his powerful uncle who launched him in politics. The presence of Modi for a function of the Tilak family will have its repercussions within the BJP itself, too. In the recently held assembly byelection from Pune city, the family was sidelined by the party while selecting its candidate. The BJP lost the bypoll, mainly since a large section of the electorate felt aggrieved by the decision. Modi will try to mollify this sentiment in a bid to reestablish the party’s grip over Pune.
The BJP is said to have decided to target the Thackeray family in the days to come. The Shiv Sena under chief minister Eknath Shinde will supplement the onslaught. The first salvo will be fired by the Shinde-Fadnavis regime on 1 July, the day selected by Uddhav Thackeray supporters to take out a morcha to the civic headquarters. Alleging massive malpractices in the various contracts awarded by the administration, the Thackeray faction has started making preparations for the coming civic election, likely to be held after the monsoon this year. The morcha will be the first step in this campaign. To take out the shine from the protest march, the Shinde loyalists have announced that Aaditya Thackeray’s closest friend Rahul Kanal will join the Shiv Sena on that very day. Rahul has already left the posts he held under Aaditya and has also quit the WhatsApp group of that circle. Even a bigger surprise is in the waiting, Shinde’s followers have started whispering. Though Shinde himself has adopted a low profile, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has indicated that the Thackeray family will face some drastic action in the near future. In an interview to Republic TV, Fadnavis went all out against Uddhav and warned him that police officials are collecting evidence necessary to file a chargesheet. He also discounted any possibility of a patch up with Uddhav.
Government officials working in India’s wealthiest civic corporation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are facing the brunt of being caught in the crossfire of Shiv Sena’s internecine conflict. Having ruled the BMC for over 25 years without a break has meant that, both the Shiv Sena factions — Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde — have immense understanding about the nuances of how BMC works. With the result that they are adopting every trick in the book, to use the BMC to get back at the other. Amidst allegations of close aides bagging multi-crore Covid deals and Covid procurements done at inflated costs, an IAS officer and former additional commissioner of BMC, was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and found having assets worth Rs 100 crore. Soon afterwards, demolition of a 40-year-old party office of the Uddhav Thackeray faction at Bandra East, led to party workers slapping a civic engineer. Officials now fear a spike in pressure tactics as the BMC elections inch closer. Uddhav is no stranger to this business of (mis) using the BMC official machinery for his political fights. He had similarly used the BMC’s offices to get back at opponents supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) like actress Kangana Ranaut or Navneet Rana or Mohit Kambhoj by initiating action for illegal alterations. Even Radio Jockey Mallishka wasn’t spared of BMC notices for poking fun at the potholed roads of Mumbai.
Besides sending shock waves in political circles, Uddhav Thackeray’s ardent soldier Maneesha Kayande’s sudden entry into the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde has once again revived the fight for the post of leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council. At present, the UIddhav group and the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) have nine MLCs each on their side. Uddhav’s loyalist Ambadas Danve is the LoP in the Upper House. However, due to MLC Kayande’s abrupt switch, the equation is disturbed. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has indicated that his party can consider claiming the post after the new arithmetic. While the post of chairman of the council has been vacant, Uddhav’s follower Neelam Gorhe has been handling the work in her capacity as deputy chairperson of the house. In all probability, the matter of changing sides by Kayande can be referred to her if the Uddhav group challenges her move. In that case, Gorhe will have to adjudicate if the defection is legal or otherwise. Kayande had been a frontline worker of the BJP for almost two decades. She left the party due to some unpleasant developments within that party and joined the Shiv Sena, then a single entity. She was sent to the council by Uddhav. Her term of the house ends next year. Kayande was welcomed into the party by Shinde amidst much fanfare on the eve of the Sena’s Foundation Day anniversary.
The Congress party’s confidence has suddenly heightened in Maharashtra following the sweep in the Karnataka assembly election. Maharashtra Congress since has begun to adopt an aggressive stand by indicating that it aspires to be the main partner of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi which has started planning for the 2024 general elections. Presently, the Congress is the smallest constituent of MVA. State Congress president Nana Patole has announced that the party’s election strategy will be discussed on 21 May at its Osmanabad meet, to be followed by a conclave in Mumbai on 23 May. MVA has decided to fight the assembly and Lok Sabha elections next year jointly. A committee consisting three members from each partner will be formed to discuss and finalise seat distribution. The MVA meeting was held at NCP president Sharad Pawar’s residence. However, the first litmus test will be the civic election in Mumbai, likely to take place at the end of the year. While earlier the party said that the MVA banner will be the collective front, a survey carried out by the Congress has forecast that it can emerge as the second largest party. Now, Patole is saying that the Congress will consider facing the BMC election on its own strength. The response by the NCP and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) will determine the future course of action.
On a day when Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav were in Mumbai meeting with Uddhav Thackeray exploring scope for Opposition alliance, his home ground gave away. Yes, his once close aide Ram Chandra Prasad Singh joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at party headquarters in New Delhi. A Kurmi leader like Nitish who also hails from Nalanda, Singh’s joining the BJP is expected to strengthen the party in Bihar. An IAS officer of UP cadre Singh had closely worked with Nitish during his stint as a Union minister. He went on to slam Nitish, accusing him of compromising with crime and corruption in his pursuit of “kursi”, calling the JDU supremo a “paltimaar”. Singh lost his Rajya Sabha membership and also had to quit as Union minister as the JDU refused to nominate him for a fresh term last year. His differences with Nitish have been growing over the years — first it was over the appointment of poll strategist Prashant Kishore as JDU vice-president and then over Nitish’s over dependence on now JDU chief Lallan Singh. RCP Singh took VRS from the IAS and was nominated by the JDU to the Rajya Sabha in 2010. Meanwhile, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik who met with PM Narendra Modi dismissed the possibility of working with the Opposition for the 2024 general election, declaring that his BJD will go it alone. Incidentally, Nitish Kumar had met with him early this week.
A committee of top NCP leaders has rejected party chief Sharad Pawar’s resignation, sending out clear signals that the supporters of Ajit Pawar have been isolated. The decision of rejection will be conveyed to Pawar, whose final response is awaited. Senior leaders Praful Patel and Jayant Patil briefed the media about the committee’s decision, claiming that there was mounting pressure on Pawar by important leaders across the political spectrum in the country. The committee’s verdict was more or less expected since barring Ajit Pawar, none had endorsed Pawar’s announcement to lay down reins of the party, formed in 1999. Over the past two days, Pawar loyalists had been lobbying for consolidating the situation in their favour. Expectedly, the rank and file fell in line, reiterating the demand that Pawar should continue. Whatever decision Pawar takes, it has become evident that he will control the party affairs. The moment chosen by Pawar to resign is considered fraught with many tacit messages, especially as he has castigated former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Ajit Pawar. At the same time, Pawar has blunted the constant grievance that there are plans at the Centre to wean away Mumbai from Maharashtra. ‘There is no such move,’ Pawar has declared in no uncertain terms, deflating Uddhav’s persistent campaign to rouse pro-Maharashtra sentiments. Pawar’s continuation, at least till the next general elections in 2024, has started looking probable now.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s revised autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Saangaatee’ has made several sensational disclosures, including the fact that then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray felt short in handling the situation within the Shiv Sena, created after he decided to form Maha Vikas Aghadi. Admitting that he did not foresee such momentous developments in the Sena due to the formation of MVA, Pawar said with Uddhav, he did not enjoy the ease he felt while talking with Balasaheb. “Owing to Uddhav’s health and his medical appointments, it was necessary to seek his appointment,” Pawar has revealed. About the revolt by his nephew Ajit Pawar to form a government with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the NCP boss has noted that he was shocked when his telephone rang at 6.30 am on 23 November 2019. He was told what Ajit was up to. This was going to be a major jolt since the NCP was in the forefront of forming the MVA government. Had this happened, it would have finished NCP’s credibility. Pawar then rang up Uddhav and broke the news. Soon, it became evident that about 10 NCP MLAs had gone with Ajit. Immediately, Pawar sprang into action and the revolt was nipped in the bud. The book is replete with many interesting nuggets but was ignored after Pawar declared his decision to step down.
The succession battle within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) seems to have led to Sharad Pawar’s decision to step down from the NCP. A battle for succession had been brewing in the NCP that had led to Ajit Pawar’s forthright claim for the chief minister’s and almost threatened a vertical split in the NCP. Ajit Pawar, who is Maharashtra’s longest deputy chief minister – he has held the post four times — clearly is tired of waiting for the CM’s chair. Ajit Pawar has already muscled his way within the NCP, way beyond his contemporaries like Jayant Patil, Dilip Walse Patil, Sunil Tatkare. Analysts believe that Ajit Pawar is ruffled by the fact that the NCP won’t hand him the CM’s post even if the MVA wins in 2024, preferring either Uddhav Thackeray or Supriya Sule, instead. The reluctance of senior Pawar, now 82, to spell out his party’s succession plans, has evidently made Ajit Pawar uncomfortable. When Supriya first entered politics, the broad understanding in NCP was that she would work at the national level, while Ajit would lead charge at the state level. But, now with Sule clawing back her way in state politics, to claim her father’s party, has clearly made him restless. NCP may have lost its tag as a national party but analysts believe that it retains enough clout to bounce back with a winning tally in 2024, higher than the 53 seats it currently holds. The brewing succession battle threatens to disrupt equations in the NCP, the coalition arithmetic and politics in Maharashtra.
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.
While the two Shiv Sena factions are battling over the proposed mega refinery project at Barsu in Ratnagiri district, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have kept away their organisations from the imbroglio so far. Chief minister Eknath Shinde announced that the opponents of the project have gone back and peace has returned to the area. He disclosed that over 70% of those to be affected have backed the project. On the other hand, former CM Uddhav Thackeray will visit the area in the first week of May, according to Sena (U) MP Vinayak Raut. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has condemned the police action against the protestors though other top leaders of the party have more or less kept mum. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has objected to the lathi charge by the police but has not opposed the project. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, too, has been advising the state government to hold a dialogue with people affected by the project and proceed only thereafter. The Congress and the NCP have not organised or joined any protest march. The BJP, too, has refrained from making its presence felt, leaving the responsibility to Eknath Shinde and industry minister Uday Samant. The project issue will be the main focus of the Maha Vikas Aghadi rally to be held in Mumbai on 1 May, Maharashtra Day
How political loyalties prompt various parties to make an about turn over their past policies is seen in Maharashtra at present over the land survey process for the proposed oil refinery at Barsu-Solgaon in Ratnagiri district carried out under heavy police bandobast. Although Maha Vikas Aghadi chief minister Uddhav Thackeray himself had written a letter to the Prime Minister to offer the same land for the project, the three MVA partners have attacked the Shinde-Fadnavis government for the survey. Industry minister Uday Samant, while releasing the letter to the media, alleged that the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena under Uddhav are adopting double standards now. Quoting from the letter written by Uddhav on 12 January 2022 to PM Narendra Modi, the minister said the state government had offered 1300 acres in Barsu and 1344 acres of land at Nate for the refinery. Uddhav had assured the PM that almost 90% of land was unoccupied and hence there would not be any displacement. Moreover, the project would boost the Maharashtra economy without harming the environment. Samant alleged that Uddhav had also opposed the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway but wanted to inaugurate the project to take credit for its completion. He was not successful due to a change of government. The issue will dominate the MVA rally to be held in Mumbai on 1 May, Maharashtra Day.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has revised his stand on the need for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Adani issue. “I am all for opposition unity and hence will not be rigid if other friends feel differently,” Pawar told Marathi news channel ABP Majha. He said although his views could be different, he would not permit the Opposition team to be affected on this count. Pawar spoke on various developments including the change of guard in Maharashtra in June 2022. He criticised then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to resign without consulting the other two partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which ruled the state for 30 months. Pawar pointed out that the coalition had come to power unitedly and hence Uddhav should have interacted with them before taking such a decision. Unilateral decisions can lead to an adverse outcome, he warned. Pawar has been hitting headlines over the past few days, refuelling speculation about his party’s exact policy and plans. For instance, the NCP chief had dismissed the need to investigate the Prime Minister’s academic degree. Pawar’s luncheon visit to the residence of senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari at Nagpur a week ago had similarly renewed innuendos by some opposition leaders to recall Ajit Pawar’s swearing in with Devendra Fadnavis in 2019. They are apprehensive about his future steps.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s whirlwind visit to Ayodhya on Sunday will achieve multiple objectives. Besides reaffirming the faith of the Shiv Sena under him in aggressive Hindutva, it will also force the hand of the rival Sena outfit led by Uddhav Thackeray to adopt a more pronounced hardline, but not without assessing the reaction of the Congress and other opposition parties in several states. Although Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party has been taking ambivalent stands on different issues, the Congress is upset since it has been compelled to backtrack on the Savarkar imbroglio. According to Shinde’s itinerary, he will spend April 9 in Ayodhya after landing at Lucknow airport, where he will be welcomed by thousands of Shiv Sainiks, who are already on their way to Uttar Pradesh. Shinde is likely to meet his UP counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, during the sojourn. Shinde’s supporters have enthusiastically participated in the Savarkar Gaurav Yatra in different areas of Maharashtra over the past week. Shinde and his ministers do not waste a single opportunity to needle the Sena (Uddhav) over the twin planks: Hindutva and Savarkar. Though Uddhav could bend the Congress to his will following his outburst over Savarkar, many regional opposition parties have not liked the outcome. Hence, Shinde’s one-day visit will result in scripting the next political moves, not just in Maharashtra.
A vituperative verbal war has erupted between two topmost Maharashtra leaders over alleged manhandling of a woman political activist in Thane, hometown of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Both have used select abuses to attack each other. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned former CM Uddhav Thackeray, “I am from Nagpur and can use still worse language,” while responding to the invective hurled at him. Uddhav has called him ‘fadtoos’ (worthless) and a bootlicker while condemning an alleged attack on his follower Roshni Shinde by some women followers of the CM. The atmosphere in Thane was surcharged as the news of the incident spread on social media. Initial reports said Roshni was manhandled despite her being pregnant. She has been kept in the ICU ward of a Thane hospital. A spokesman of the hospital told the media that Roshni did not show any grievous injury nor was she pregnant. However, Uddhav rushed to Thane along with wife Rashmi and son Aaditya. After meeting her, Uddhav showered insults at Fadnavis, calling him the most inefficient home minister. “This is an impotent government which instigates attacks against women,” he charged. Fadnavis reacted with equal venom. He said, “”Some elements are worried since I am holding the home portfolio. They are trying their best to get rid of me. But they won’t succeed.” He has warned Uddhav to mind his language or face the consequences.
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.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar has once again kept his supporters and opponents intrigued simultaneously, this time by preventing censure of Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He has done it by forcing the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi to sheath their tirade against the Hindutva icon. At a meeting of various Opposition leaders at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the contentious issue was raised by Pawar, who warned that attacks against Savarkar would prove politically costly for all three partners of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – the NCP, Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena – in and beyond Maharashtra. This stand was supported by various Congress leaders, making Rahul to yield. Pawar has shocked the polity time and again by his changing priorities. A close confidant of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, he became a powerful minister under Manmohan Singh for 10 years. In 2014, he announced unilateral unasked support for the BJP in Maharashtra after the assembly elections. This announcement forced the BJP and the then Sena to form a coalition. In 2019, his nephew Ajit Pawar took oath along with Devendra Fadnavis but their regime survived barely 72 hours. Pawar’s masterstroke was installing Uddhav as Maharashtra chief minister. Once again, he has shown that he can give politics the direction he wishes.
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