OFF THE RECORD review on some of todays headlines…
1. Citizen Amendment Bill
ShivSena has made a mockery of itself. First by supporting the bill in the Loksabha and later staging a walk-out in Rajya Sabha. Yesterday, I think it must have been after a very long time that I switched on Rajya Sabha TV to watch Amit Shah’s reply. Must say, he was convincing on whatever ‘advantages’ the bill bought with itself. Whilst replying to several speeches made by the leaders from different parties, reply to Sanjay Raut was the funniest and ShivSena was a laughing stock in the entire House. What Balasaheb must be thinking in his grave?I’m sure one thought must be, I have left a confused Shivsena behind. At First–SS supports the BJP in Loksabha by voting for it, later during the day CM Uddhav Thackrey asks for some clarity on the Bill, and at the night MP’s walking out? I mean ..what? Clearly some messages were passed by the Congress High Command to the Shivsena and Shivsena (wanting to support the bill) had to mend their ways. Social Media created a havoc by putting memes on Raut & SS. Unfazed during the whole show was Sharad Pawar sitting on the first row. The funniest post on Facebook which I thought must share here on Raut is--“Headmaster Raut runs away before seeing how his 2 Gujrati teacher’s teach everyone a lesson on #CAB “
2. Maharashtra ruckus.
Uddhav Thackrey is tensed, thats for sure. He is not able to have that grip on the government the way it should be. Last gossip what I heard, that tired of demands from the Congress and the NCP and their U-turn on certain points on the Minimum Common Prorgame, Uddhav has actually stopped talking to the Congress & NCP on expansion and other topics.
I have heard there are some millions of people to visit him everyday at the Mantralaya and the two people who are continuously watching his back and ‘learning’ are Aditya Thackrey and Milind Narvekar! Both of them have been given cabins or rather they have been spotted sitting just outside CM’s cabin at Mantralaya , where our old OSD’s Sumeet Wankhede & (now MLA) Abhimanyu Pawar sat. The 6th floor is generally looks like a Janta Darbar wherein even the IAS, IPS , state cadre officers are seeing with common public lobbying for plum postings. Today heard, CM Thackrey is headed to Fort Shivneri for some major announcement from there. Entire farm loan waiver can be one of his agenda. But Mr. Thackrey, hope all your decisions are in sync with your alliance partners.
On the second hand, what I feel, today or tomorrow majority of the portfolios will be distributed amongst the 6 sworn-in Ministers and after the winter session cabinet expansion would be on the cards. I won’t be lying if I tell you, I don’t feel the urge to go to Mantralaya and even meet the CM and congratulate him. I don’t believe in tagging to a particular group but somewhere I believe, had Uddhav been the CM the ‘correct’ way I would have been the happiest and would have stood behind him how I did earlier behind Prithviraj Chavan and later Devendra Fadnavis. The way was incorrect and somewhere my heart is not ready to accept these happenings. But as they say, Politics is not for the emotional ones, so someday if you ever spot me on the 6th floor or at Varsha, do assume, I have too, mended my ways with my heart.
www.vikrantjoshi.com
Also had heard, if & only if, had Shivsena supported the BJP in passing CAB at the Rajya Sabha, Congress here would have immediately withdrawn its support here in Maharashtra. But what Shivsena has done, is no different anyways. Walking out, means supporting the bill, isnt it? Also, do you know in this entire calendar year, Government in Maharshtra has been functional for hardly 4 to 5 months out of 12. March 8th, code of conduct was set in which got over at the end of May, then again for Vidhan Sabha elections, code of conduct was in place. And after the swearing ceremony of Uddhav, the confusion as to what work and whom to allot, remains unanswered. Absolutely harakiri in Maharashtra and loot of tax-payers money.
But now I feel, Sharad Pawar who was at the helm of settling things during the formation of this government, needs to step in and take charge. It is only him now who can steer this ship of this ‘tripod’ government. If and only if these differences sort out, and this government passes the Budget session peacefully, then it will be extremely difficult for the BJP to remove them from the power for at least 10 years then. Hence, sorting out differences between these 3 parties, will be Pawar’s top priority. Cabinet expansion, postings of IAS/IPS can all take the back seat now. First this government will have to be ready for the brickbats from Devendra Fadnavis at the upcoming winter session. Fadnavis these days appears to be very cool, as he knows now the fight isn’t anymore against a Brahmin being the CM, it is between Amit Shah and Sharad Pawar. If something happens after Jharkhand results now, I still maintain my stance as to what I have written earlier, it will be the NCP who will push Shivsena to the BJP and it will be a “mili-juli” sarkar of the BJP & Sena & few NCP netas with an “understanding” opposition in the NCP (Sharad Pawar will keep NCP alive) and of course Congress.
Nothing major can be expected from Pankaja Munde at her todays really except for few emtional outrages against Fadnavis. But at least she has maintained dignity by not meeting Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackrey unlike her other ‘OBC’ netas.
The other day had a hearty laugh with ex CM Fadnavis when we discussed bureaucrats (both IAS & IPS) as to who have switched sides immediately. Switched sides , as in when the entire month went without the government and no one was able to decide who will be the CM, but it was certain that ShivSena will be in power. You will be surprised to know, Fadnavis knew it all! He knew how an IPS officer went to meet Jayant Patil, how a Joint Commissioner went to meet Thackrey at Matoshri and how an IPS form Pune came in a cab dressed in normal clothes and waited like a watchmen outside Matoshri. Fadnavis knows it all, and knew it all!!
Vikrant Hemant Joshi
