OFF THE RECORD review on some of the headlines..
What, is this even a possibility ?
So yesterday, I happened to meet a few bureaucrats holding senior positions in Maharashtra. Talks (Gossip) over green tea and black tea obviously went on as to what is the Supreme Court up to and what decision will it give for disqualifications of CM Eknath Shinde and the 15 others with him? They had read my previous blog just a day before and all of them had few things to say. By the way, these IAS, IPS and IRS have a lot of connections in the Centre and they love GOSSIP. They had a view that the order had obviously started to be dictated and almost finished. Majority of them were of the view that the Supreme Court in its judgement might say, as per us, these 16 MLA’s should be disqualified from their positions as MLA’s BUT, (a very IMPORTANT BUT here), but we as Supreme Court direct the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly to take the decision. Hence, the entire onus comes on the Speaker. This is what these bureaucrats had to say. One of the bureaucrats who is a bit of a BJP hater said, if this happens the Supreme Court should give Speaker a definite time say 3 months or 6 months to take his decision because if there is no time limit, this Shinde-Fadnavis Government will pull it off till 2024 Loksabha elections. I was listening and just remembered, aree yaar, Speaker to BJP ka hi hai…
Chandrakant (dada) Patil Hazir Ho…
You know what, whenever Chandrakant (dada) Patil opens his mouth, it not only makes headlines, but it creates controversy too and it becomes difficult for the rest of the BJPians to defend him in public. But is this the first time Dada has done this? No! In fact we all know when the Shinde-Fadnavis Government came in power, the high command was not in a mood to offer Ministerial posts to Chandrakant Dada, Girish Mahajan and Sudhir Mungantiwar. In fact I have heard BJP President JP Nadda had even warned Dada to keep mum and to not make any controversial statements. But to tell you, it was only because of Devendra Fadnavis these 3 were inducted in the cabinet against the wishes of the Centre as they wanted to experiment with new faces and keep these veterans at bay or let them prepare for Loksabha 2024 or if not that then, make them MLC’s and serve the party. In fact at that time it was Fadnavis who had pleaded to the Centre that he has attracted enough eyeballs due to Khadse, Pankaja Munde, Vinod Tawde episodes in the past, hence this time he didn’t want any in party fighting and jealousy in the party and he got it his way. But then was the gamble played by Fadnavis worth it? After what comment from Chandrakant dada for Babri and Shisvena (UBT), I feel NOW it is Chandrakant Dada’s frustration that was talking, I feel. In fact Dada when he was State President for the BJP, he has done nothing but to attract hate amongst Punekar especially from the Brahmins. He has done all of this by himself. No one to blame for. Also now when he is the MInister, his portfolio is not that big and there is very limited scope of work. Then in between Dada got frustrated because his ‘then’ Private Secretary who was him from 2015 to 2019 and who has had a controversial past, name again started doing rounds in corridors of power that he is working for Dada again and which is actually not the case. People said, this ex-PS takes keen interest in Dada’s department (yet again) and every file movement is happening through him. But then I decided to find out, in fact my very credible source tells me that this ex-PS after his retirement has opened up an office in Pune and does occasionally visit Dada’s bungalows in Pune even today but just for odd lunches and nothing else. This ex PS in fact has joined hands with another Minister in this government to do the transfers and signing of files. Mr. Manoj Saunik, do review the files a bit carefully when you sign for postings. Just a friendly suggestion! But then due to these controversies and Dada’s “can’t keep anything in my stomach nature”, there have been differences that have risen between him and Fadnavis and we could see in the results of elections in Pune just before Bawankule took the charge of state President. Then there are caste equations in Pune too. But let me tell you, Dada is a loner. He does not need any post only if the party feels that he should be an MLC or a MP, he will welcome it, else I am hearing he might retire himself from active politics and help the party to grow the cadre. If and only if Dada wants to cross the bridge and help Fadnavis, he will have to zip up and mend his ways. His close associates tell me that Dada is a very emotional man and the media sometimes ‘manipulates’ him to get controversial statements out of him. I say, he is a hardcore RSS man and an excellent organiser. These people don’t get manipulated easily but sometimes human nature comes in the way.
Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar meet!
Wow, indeed it was a pleasure to see, after he resigned as the CM of the state, Uddhav Thackeray went on to meet Sharad PA\awar at the laters Silver Oak residence after a long 2.5/3 years. During his entire stint as the CM, Uddhav Thackeray never went to Silver Oaks even when Pawar had undergone 4 to 5 crucial surgeries. Then Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had also visited Pawar, but Uddhav Thackeray never came. See please understand Sharad Pawar is a veteran and he exactly knows which way the wind is flowing. Hence I feel for the first time in the last 3.5 years, Sharad Pawar came out in the open and did what he did. For the first time he said anything against Uddhav Thackeray (UT shouldn’t have resigned before consulting MVA), he then opposed JPC for Adani and Ajit Pawar showed his love for EVM. Immediately on learning this stand of Pawar and the NCP, Uddhav Thackeray ran towards Silver Oaks. I think Pawar might have got a hint of what the Supreme Court decision might come to. Hence the stance; and I feel even Uddhav Thackeray must have gotten wind of it. Hence the hush-hush meeting and hence the request of Uddhav Thackeray to Pawar to join “Vajramuth” Sabha and keep MVA intact. But is it too late, Uddhav ji?
Vikrant Hemant Joshi.
