No Early Cabinet Expansion in Maharashtra ?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

No Early Cabinet Expansion in Maharashtra ?

New inductions after Nagpur session  

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Dec 1

The suspense over estranged nephew Ajit Pawar’s induction into the Uddhav Thackeray government will continue for some more time. It transpires that the next expansion of the Maharashtra Cabinet will take place only after the Nagpur session of the State Assembly. The Session is likely to be held between December 16 to 21.

Sources say that the top leadership of the alliance partners comprising of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress leaders felt that the next expansion be held only after the Nagpur session of the Assembly. The induction of ministers from all the three parties and a couple of others may wait as Uddhav wants to initiate a series of steps for the welfare of the people immediately.

The two core committees – one for the Cabinet and the other for alliance partners – are also to be set up first so that better coordination could be evolved at all levels.

Secondly, Ajit Pawar continues to have certain reservations and wants more time to settle down in the new situation. He plans to visit his constituency.

Ends

No Early Cabinet Expansion in Maharashtra ?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

No Early Cabinet Expansion in Maharashtra ?

New inductions after Nagpur session  

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Dec 1

The suspense over estranged nephew Ajit Pawar’s induction into the Uddhav Thackeray government will continue for some more time. It transpires that the next expansion of the Maharashtra Cabinet will take place only after the Nagpur session of the State Assembly. The Session is likely to be held between December 16 to 21.

Sources say that the top leadership of the alliance partners comprising of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress leaders felt that the next expansion be held only after the Nagpur session of the Assembly. The induction of ministers from all the three parties and a couple of others may wait as Uddhav wants to initiate a series of steps for the welfare of the people immediately.

The two core committees – one for the Cabinet and the other for alliance partners – are also to be set up first so that better coordination could be evolved at all levels.

Secondly, Ajit Pawar continues to have certain reservations and wants more time to settle down in the new situation. He plans to visit his constituency.

Ends

BJP's sermon to Top leaders: Don't attack Thackerays

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

special report

BJP's sermon to Top leaders: Don't attack Thackerays

BJP Sole custodian of Hindutva Now

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov. 14

The BJP high command has issued strict instructions to all its Central leaders including spokespersons and ministers not to criticise Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray or his son and others personally.

The BJP leadership took this decision after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Working president J P Nadda held an informal meeting before the PM emplaned for BRICS meet. It was decided that Amit Shah will speak on the subject and present BJP's point of view through TV channels. Amit Shah was very guarded in his comments and nowhere he hit out at Sena for duplicity, expediency or personally attacked Thackerays when took the mike yesterday. The BJP's break-up is disheartening and discouraging as Sena was its oldest and ideologically closest ally and difficult to digest.

The trio decided that the developing situation be watched with an arms length and “let Sena-NCP-Congress prepare their eatable Khichdi and run the government as they wish to.” They decided to wait for the “Silver Line” in the next couple of months.

The BJP is extremely upset that it is losing a big state like Maharashtra after winning it and NCP leader Sharad Pawar played his cards very well by forcing Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi to change her strategy to support the die-hard ideological opponent to accept Sena's CM. The Maharashtra BJP is in a state of shock and Central Leadership is now hoping against hope for a “wind-fall gain.”

The hardliners in the BJP are excited about taking over the sole mantle of Hindutva with the departure of Sena.

They say its prime vote bank is confined to Thane-Konkan belt where BJP can work hard to make inroads in the months to come.

The BJP leadership also wants to see how Sena will carry out its own Hindutva agenda for which it was born and followed strident aggressive Hindutva policy with Congress and Sena.

Sena was at the forefront of the Ram temple agitation and even claimed its role in demolition of the structure.

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Why Amit Shah is angry with Sena Chief ?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Why Amit Shah is angry with Sena Chief ?

Uddhav to Visit Delhi on November 24

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 13

Why did BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not travel to Mumbai to talk to Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree this time to end the deadlock ?

After all, Amit Shah took the initiative to hold one-to-one meet with Uddhav before the Lok Sabha elections when the Shiv Sena was talking tough on seat-sharing issue. The issue was resolved the moment Amit Shah and Uddhav held closed- door meeting.

But this time, Amit Shah neither visited Mumbai and nor spoke to Sena Chief over the phone. He chose to remain quiet after the Assembly polls. Before the polls, he did speak to Lokmat informally denying that there was any 50:50 power sharing formula. He took no initiative to resolve the emerging confrontation on 50:50 power sharing formula and allowed Sena to chose other options.

Grapevine has it that Amit shah was extremely upset with the statements made by Uddhav Thackeray in the media for “crossing the line”.

Amit Shah was seething with anger at his 6 Krishna Menon Marg as to how come Thackeray distort details of deliberations in a close door meeting with him to the media. Amit Shah was so particular about the sanctity of the talks that he did not take Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the Mumbai meeting. Amit Shah thought it fit to keep quiet and looked the other way. When Sena agreed to contest less seats in the assembly polls, how could it claim CM's post, wondered Amit Shah.

Sena rather changed the tune immediately after results came and went on the offensive and crossed the line.

Uddhav should not have mentioned what transpired with Amit Shah and twisted facts. This angered Amit Shah and doors are shut, at least for now for Sena.

The BJP sources say that Uddhav should have insisted for a meeting with Amit Shah again rather than going public. It would have put Shah in a quandary.

But what Uddhav did ? He crossed the line by going public and Amit Shah and PM Modi decided that let Sena do whatever it wants. There will be no talk with Sena at all, at least for now. PM also toughened his stand against Sena and allowed Sena to form a government headed by it.

Now there is a ray of hope on November 24 when Uddhav may travel to Delhi to meet L K Advani after visiting Ayodhya. All eyes are set on November 24 visit of Uddhav to Delhi.

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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.

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by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Modi wants all CMs at Patel Statue Unveiling Event 

BJP rushed to placate Nitish Kumar 

Efforts to bring Naveen Patnaik too  Uddhav Thackeray disincline : 20 BJP CMs in toe 

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Oct 29

Prime Minister Narendra Moi is working hard to ensure the presence of Chief Ministers of all the states at unveiling of 'Statue of Unity' dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on October 31 in Gujrat.

Modi wants to tout the ceremony as symbol of unity of the country and is in touch with every chief minister and top leaders of parties to be present when the statue is unveiled.

So keen was Modi to ensure the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the venue that he directed BJP Chief Amit Shah to seal the Lok Sabha seat sharing deal with JD (U). Shah rushed to Delhi cutting short his election campaign and made huge concessions.

As Modi wanted that all the NDA CMs be present at the statue of unity-- the BJP has its own band of 20 and it wanted nitish kumar, KCR, Palaniswamy and even. Nitish was unwilling to come.

Gujrat's senior-most Minister Saurabh Patel sought time from Nitish Kumar to invite him for the unveiling ceremony 20 days ago. But Nitish Kumar excused saying that he was traveling. The BJP was informally conveyed if the presence of Nitish is required, the seat sharing issue be settled. Similar efforts are on the persuade Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to travel to Gujrat to be part of this unity.

Modi is also keen to ensure the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the venue. The BJP leadership has also conveyed to Patnaik that its not keen to disturb his apple cart.

PM Modi made it clear to the Chief Ministers of non-BJP states that is not a party function and its dedicated to the country’s tallest leader who unified India 70 years ago.

The efforts are also being made to ensure the presence of Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray at the venue. When contacted, Sanjay Raut, Shive speokeman and Rajya Sabha MP said, “We are busy in the Ram Temple movement beginning November 25.  

Barring Capt Amrinder Singh (Punjab), Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal) and Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), V Narayansami (Puducherry) Chief Ministers and Governor of Jammu & Kashmir are expected to attend the ceremony.

The statue touted to be the world’s tallest statue, will have a viewing gallery at the height of 193 metres from the sea level which can accommodate 200 visitors at a time. The security & intelligence agencies are making every effort to check the safety of all the VVIPs together at one place at such a height.

Nearly 3,400 labourers and 250 engineers worked round-the-clock at the site of the statue at Sadhu Bet island on Narmada river. The 182-metre tall statue will be unveiled on the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. The statue has been built at a cost of Rs. 2,389 crores. Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project on October 31, 2013 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

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