A mysterious Fadnavis-Raut Mission - Fly on the wall

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group


A mysterious Fadnavis-Raut Mission
The tremors of Fadnavis- Raut close-door 150-minute meeting continue days after the event and even felt in Delhi. The top BJP leadership is also maintaining a studied silence except for saying that Fadnavis is tasked to oversee Bihar elections. There is no general secretary incharge of Maharashtra after the exit of the affable Saroj Pandey. Is the BJP smelling blood in Maharashtra again, not really? The party is in no hurry and feels the present government will crumble due to inherent contradictions. Then why Sanjay Raut’s 150-minute close-door meeting with former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ? No one is buying the theory that it was held to discuss modalities of Fadnavis’ interview with Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece, Saamana. But there are no takers of Fadnavis’ statement either where he said “politics was not discussed”. Is the turf ready to pull down the Uddhav Thackeray ? The CM’s baiters allege that he has largely been confined to his Matoshri residence even once for eight months and his handling of the economy is dismal. However, Pawar is enjoying fruits of power in Maharashtra and Uddhav is reaping the harvest and never had it so good. Did he dispatch Sanjay Raut as his emissary on a secret mission? Doesn’t look like it! Was Raut playing solo? Political watchers say Sanjay Raut is his own master these days.

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And a Failed Amit Shah- Jagan meet
If the Fadnavis-Raut meeting is shrouded in mystery, another unreported meeting between India’s second most powerful man Amit Shah and Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy ended in a damp squib. The Union Home Minister who was incommunicado since August 2, held a rather long chat with Jagan after declining to meet him twice before. Amit Shah granted the audience after a word came from the PMO to grant him time. Jagan wanted funds for Polavaram project, GST compensation among other favours. But Amit Shah was worried as the NDA has weakened after the exit of Sena and Akali Dal. Insiders say that Amit Shah sounded out Jagan if his party, YSR Congress would join the NDA. Amit Shah is reported to have told Jagan that TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu is also keen to re-join the NDA. But the BJP wants to start a new inning with YSR Congress. It transpires that Jagan expressed his reluctance to join the NDA due to his party’s strong Christian-Muslim-Reddy vote bank. But he agreed to lend support to NDA wherever needed. Amit Shah was not impressed and the meeting ended in a fiasco.

BJP's New Modi from South!
Ever heard of B L Santosh ? If not, the loss is entirely yours. He is the new man on the horizon in BJP. Many in the ruling party go to the extent of saying that he is Narendra Modi of South though not as charismatic as the PM is. If Modi brought BJP in power in Gujrat, Santosh brought the saffron party to power in Karnataka in 2008. If Modi installed Kesubhai Patel as CM, Santosh installed B S Yediyuruppa as CM. Santosh never looked back since then and was promoted as BJP general secretary incharge of the Organisation 11 years later. A chemical engineer, bachelor and 24X7 RSS worker, Santosh is a no-nonsense, tough man. He is tech savvy and a person with an open mind and new ideas. He watched Shahrukh Khan’s “Chuck de India” ten times to understand how the spirit of patriotism can be inculcated among the party workers through visual medium. He reminds of the days of late Sunder Singh Bhandari who built the party with Atal-Advani-Nanaji Deshmukh. The recent shake up in the BJP is attributed to Modi-Shah-Nadda Trimurti. But the man behind the entire exercise where 4 powerful generals secretaries and seven Vice presidents were shown the door is B L Santosh. Of course, some may be accommodated in ministries and others as Governors. But Santosh convinced the RSS and party high command that new blood is needed for 2024 now if BJP wants to gain in five major Southern Indian states, North East and West Bengal. The Growing Beard

Why is PM Modi growing his beard these days? Everyone in the town's talking about it but no one has the answers. Not even those who interact with him. One explanation is that the PM doesn’t want anybody in his immediate proximity due to Covid. A hairdresser to trim his beard can cause infection. Therefore, everybody is kept at arm’s length including those who serve at his official residence. There are a few who feel it may have something to do with ‘divine” help he is seeking to fight Coronavirus.

Fadnavis flying to Patna, Delhi for talks

• BJP not to buckle under Nitish Pressure
• Wants JD(U) to contest 102 seats only

Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

New Delhi, Sep 26

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and incharge of BJP’s Bihar unit Devendra Fadnavis will be flying to Patna and later Delhi to finalise party’s strategy for October 28 Assembly polls.

If sources close to Fadnavis are to be believed, the party is unlikely to buckle under Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s pressure in seat-sharing arrangements. Fadnavis will come to Delhi in the first week of October after visiting Patna. 

Fadnavis had gauged the mood on tie up when he visited Patna immediately after his surprise appointment to over-see Bihar Assembly polls by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Obviously, Modi was unhappy with the way the BJP had to surrender five extra Lok Sabha seats to Janata Dal (U) during the 2019 polls. The BJP contested 17 seats instead of 22 sacrificing five sitting MPs and gave 17 seats to JD(U). The party high command accepted this humiliation at the hands of Nitish Kumar despite the massive Modi wave.

But now there is no such compulsion. Secondly, Fadnavis is reported to have conveyed to the party high command about the dwindling graph of Nitish Kumar due to mishandling of Coronavirus and migrant labours and floods issues. 

Internal field surveys ordered at the instance of Fadnavis showed that PM Modi has a lead of 12% over Nitish Kumar in popularity and its time Nitish made to pay the price. Nitish wants to contest 118 seats but the BJP is unwilling to concede more than 100-102 out of 243 seats.

The BJP also wants to contest 102 seats leaving 39 for LJP, HAM and other new entrants.

Insiders say that open revolt against Nitish Kumar by Chirag Paswan, president of the Bihar LJP is being engineered by the BJP. The BJP brought HAM party’s Jitan Ram Manjhi into the NDA fold and instigated RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha to leave the RJD-Congress. Perhaps, Modi has not forgotten the day when Nitish Kumar walked out of the NDA in 2013 after he was declared BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. It is a different matter that Nitish Kumar defected to NDA in 2017 to remain in power. Its pay back time for Nitish Kumar.

RSS stepped in to resolve Maharashtra political crisis

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

RSS stepped in to resolve Maharashtra political crisis

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 6

The RSS has finally stepped in to resolve the political crisis engulfing the state for the past ten days. If sources in the Sangh Parivar are to be believed, the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat may speak to Sena Chief Uddhav Thacheray in order to resolve the stand-off between the two parties.

The process of RSS intervention began with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis touching base with Road Transport & MSMEs minister Nitin Gadkari two days ago. Both the leaders gave no clue as to what transpired between them. But it is presumed that Fadnavis wanted Gadkari to intervene in the political crisis as he has good relations with Sena leadership too.

It was following this meeting that Fadnavis went to Nagpur to meet the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to apprise him of the developing political situation.It may be informed that the BJP-Sena seat sharing deal was clinched before the May Lok Sabha polls with efforts of Mohan Bhagwat. The BJP conceded as many as 23 Lok Sabha seats to Sena and climbed down a bit.

These sources say that Mohan Bhagwat is extremely busy with the Ram Temple issue as the Supreme Court judgment is expected anytime between November 11-13. Shiv Sena has been part of the long struggle for the Ram Temple movement and integral part of the Parivar.

Therefore, the RSS chief is may make an effort to resolve the crisis and also impress on the BJP to be magnanimous in any power sharing arrangement. He wants political tempers to cool down as big Ram Temple issue will come up next week.

The Sena's position also has become somewhat may awkward after NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had withdrawn from the BJP-Sena infighting saying the NCP-Congress have the mandate to sit in the Opposition.

The change in tune came after Congress president Sonia Gandhi stood firm in telling Sharad Pawar that her party would find it difficult to support Sena led government from inside or outside. In view of these developments, the prospects of resolution of crisis may be on the radar.

Ends 

BJP not to buckle under Sena Pressure Fadnavis to remain alliance's CM face

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

BJP not to buckle under Sena Pressure

Fadnavis to remain alliance's CM face

No automatic sharing of equal number of Assembly seats  

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Aug. 1

The BJP Central high command has asked the Maharashtra unit of the party to sort out issues relating to seat sharing pact with Shiv Sena for the Assembly polls later this year.

BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has clearly conveyed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state president Chandrakant Patil that it is for them negotiate with Sena and others on sharing of seats.

The high command also made it clear that no commitment was given to the Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray about the number of seats to be contested by BJP-Shev Sena in 2019. When Amit Shah called on Sena Chief at Matoshree before the Lok Sabha polls early this year, there was no commitment given with regard to Assembly seats. The talks were confined merely to sharing of Lok Sabha seats. “The Sena demanded 23 seats and the same was agreed upon. Of course, Sena Chief wanted to discuss sharing of assembly seats as well. But there was no discussion,” said a senior party functionary.

Since the BJP didn't want any discording notes before the Lok Sabha polls, it conceded all the demands of Sena. But in the Assembly, the high command has left it to the state unit to sort out the issues maintaining a safe distance.

This is being done as high command doesn't want to get into this exercise and leaving it to the wisdom of the Chief Minister and Mr Chandrakant Patil to arrive at an understanding.

But the stance of the High command sends a clear signal that it will adopt tough stance towards its ally rather than buckling under the pressure. It is ready to go it alone if the ally throws tantrums or demands the post of the Chief Minister. In 2014, BJP and Shiv Sena had fallen out on sharing of 288 Assembly seats and contested separately. The Sena faced a deadly blow when it faced a disaster by getting only 63 Assembly seats out of 288 while the BJP secured 122- alomost double.

"The BJP is keen for a truck with Sena. But sharing of seats will not be 50:50. It will be on merit and winnability,” said a source here adding that its for the state unit to decide.

Ends

Akalis give new Headache to Fadnavis

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Special report

Akalis give new Headache to Fadnavis

Amit Shah issues sermon; Amend Nanded Gurudwara Act

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 4

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) may be BJP's ally in Punjab. But it is giving a new headache to the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra.

It now transpires BJP president Amit Shah spoke to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and impressed upon him to re-look at the Gurudwara Act governing the historic Gurudwara at Nanded in the state.

The tiny issue of the Nanded Gurudwara has rocked the decades old relationship of the BJP with the SAD which threatened to walk out of the NDA and quit the Modi government. Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the SAD, had met the BJP president had told him in no uncertain terms that his party would be left with no option but to quit the NDA. Even Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Food Processing Minister would quit the Modi government if the Maharashtra government continued to play with the religious sentiments of the Sikh community in the state. Since the Akalis had refused to attend the NDA meeting held on Friday last, Amit Shah swung into action and held a marathon meeting with Akali leaders to appease the discontentedThe SAD had made it clear that its core committee would meet and severe ties with the BJP forever.

Obviously, the BJP found the issue too hot to handle after what is happening in the North East and with other allies.

The Akalis told Shah that a section of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are trying to interfere in matters related to Sikhs. Functionaries who were privy to discussions said the both leaders managed to hammer out a truce after the two-hour meeting.

The bone of contention between the BJP and Akali Dal is over the amendments made in the Takht Hazoor Abchal Nagar Sahi Nanded Act, 1956 by the BJP government in Maharastra. The amendment empowered the Government to nominate six members to the Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee of Nanded and also its chairman. The committee has 15 elected elect members. But the power to nominate as many as six members and also the chairman made the Akalis angry. Their argument was that its a religious matter of the Sikh community and the government should not interfere in the Sikh sangat.

Fadnavis is understood to have told Shah that the amendments to the Act were made at the behest of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, another frontal organisation of the RSS working in the Sikh community.

It is learnt that the Gurudwara Act would be amended shortly ensuring that an elected president is appointed and the state would not nominate six members and number would be brought down to two.

Shah, after talking to Fadnavis assured Badal that the state would not interfere in the affairs of Sikhs. Both parties are learnt to have agreed not to step on each other’s political turf.

Ends

Pawar daydreaming on mid-term poll in Maha

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Pawar day dreaming about mid-term poll in Maharashtra

BJP not worried about Sena

Amit Shah confident SS will vote for BJP presidential candidate

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, June 7

The BJP high command dismissed senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s view that Maharashtra is heading towards a mid-term poll.

“Pawar Saheb is day-dreaming. His party is looking for a role in the state and at the Centre. He thinks that Shiv Sena will desert BJP and there will be political role for his party. But nothing of this kind will happen,” said a senior general secretary of the party on the condition of not being quoted.

The general secretary said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is handling the state in perfectly. If he has taken a decision to announce the package sometime in October, it is largely because the Monsoon is about to set in the state. It is expected that immediate problems of the farmers would be resolved and a fair assessment will be made about the compensation to them only after the Monsoon.

  

The BJP leader said  that Pawar is a worried man because the probe agencies continue to go after cases of corruption. The Enforcement Directorate had already gone after Ajit Pawar and the CBI registered an FIR in the aircraft purchase case during UPA regime.

With regard to relations with Shiv Sena, BJP president Amit Shah had told a small group of journalists last week that relations with the ally are cordial.

Amit Shah had said the allies do have their own views on certain issues. The Shiv Sena is an ally at the Centre and in the state and he had not heard anything that they have  changein a democratic set up, an ally is free to express its view and it will be seriously looked into.

The BJP leadership is confident that Shiv Sena will vote for the party’s Presidential this time. It may be mentioned that the Shiv Sena did not vote for the BJP candidate during the two previous Presidential elections. But the Modi-Amit Shah team is confident that Sena will vote for the BJP candidate.

Centre ayes Rs.1,577 cr for AIIMS in Nagpur

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

The Prime Minister was personally very keen to set up the AIIMS branches in three states and tweeted extensively today through his twitter handling account. 

￭ 2 more AIIMS at Manglagiri in Andhra and Kalyani in West Bengal approved 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Oct. 7

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday formally approved the setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AllMS) at Nagpur in Maharashtra. The AIIMS at Nagpur will cost `1,577 crore and will address issues concerning regional imbalances in availability of affordable and reliable tertiary health care services in the State. The large population in Vidarbha region in particular will benefit with the coming up of the AIIMS. 

The Cabinet also approved the setting up of two more AIIMS at Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh and Kalyani in West Bengal. The three AIIMS together will cost the Centre collectively `4,949 crore. 

The institute of national importance for which Nagpur had been clamouring for long, will have a hospital with a capacity of 960 beds. It will not only provide quality medical education, nursing education, tertiary healthcare facilities but also have a nursing college. In addition, there will be a teaching block, administrative block, AYUSH block, auditorium, night shelter for those accompanying the patients, hostel and residential accommodation. The three new AIIMS are in addition to six already made functional in various State capitals and one coming up at Rae Bareli.

The three new AIIMS will augment the facilities of quality medical education and would also address the shortfall of health care professionals in these regions.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and surface transport and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari had been working for long for the Nagpur AIIMS and an in-principle decision had been taken as well long ago in this regard. But it was only today that the Union Cabinet cleared the setting up of three new AIIMS. Significantly, the other two AIIMS are in Andhra Pradesh ruled by NDA partner TDP and West Bengal ruled by Mamata Banerjee of the TMC. But this is in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's philosophy of cooperative federalism.

The Prime Minister was personally very keen to set up the 

AIIMS branches in three states and tweeted extensively 

today through his twitter handling account. 

He said, "People of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra (Vidarbha) & West Bengal along with adjoining states and region will be beneficiary of this project."

In another tweet he further said, "New AIIMS will be established for providing quality medical education, nursing education and also to provide tertiary healthcare facilities."