OFF THE RECORD review ….
1. Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to stay longer as BMC chief….
As per confirmed sources at the top, all those who thought that BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal will be moved out of the BMC are in for a disappointment! Recently in the corridors of power tongues were wagging about few changes that will be made within the administration due to the origin of few controversies. MHADA, SRA and MMRDA might see a change of leadership in the coming days but certainly BMC is seeing no change at the top for sure. The source says, Iqbal Singh Chahal might remain at the post as MC for another year or so, his only advantage being his deliverables! All difficult jobs are handled and executed well by him and he has managed to stay in the good books of the current CM and the DCM, says the source. Chahal was then Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray’s favourite, how come he managed to please this government asked a friend of mine to the source, the source said, Chahal is committed to the job and is loyal to his post, obviously he will be committed to the people who are in power; he was loyal to them then but now the loyalty totally lies to this Government. This is what a bureaucrat should be like, right?
2. IPS Rashmi Shukla empaneled for the post of DG.
Last night file signed of IPS Rashmi Shukla who is now empanelled to hold post equivalent to Director General level in Government of India. As the Government of Maharashtra had created a post of Special Police Commissioner Mumbai, will we have a special DG post for Shukla too now? Yes, I feel she can even become a CP or DG depending on the mood of the bosses of Maharashtra. But one thing is for sure, with her coming in power and assuming any role in Maharashtra now will be a headache for the NCP and Uddhav Thackeray Sena faction. With all eyes set on the BMC in the fag end of 2023 and 2024 Loksabha and Vidhan Sabha, appointment of Deven Bharti as Special CP Mumbai and chances of Rashmi Shukla coming back to Maharashtra, BJP is going for the kill.
3. What’s up Maharashtra Congress?
The whole Satyajeet Tambe episode, Nana Patole referring to Uddhav Thackeray as a “weak” leader, Balasaheb Thorat’s resignation from the CLP post, is setting up an interesting 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections saga. In all of this, those who thought that the Shinde/Fadnavis government will collapse in a span of 6 months or so, have now sealed their mouths. Many from the COngress were telling me that the whole Satyajeet Tambe Parishad episode was a Fadnavis-Patole strategy; also Prithviraj Chavan to a news channel hinted at few big changes will be brought about in Maharashtra Congress which clearly states that not all is well in the state congress unit. I feel a desperate measure should be taken up by DELHI and the reins of Congress should be given in the hands of Prithviraj Chavan. Likes of Gadagils and Joshi’s of Pune who are big time sidelined should be brought once again in the main fold. Else today it is the Thorat/Tambe family, tomorrow it can be an Ashok Chavan or a Vishwajeet Kadam too….
Vikrant Hemant Joshi.
