State Cong leaders show little interest
Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra created a positive atmosphere for the Congress and even energised the party workers, but its leaders are still stagnant in Maharashtra. Gandhi, when he exited from Maharashtra for Madhya Pradesh, had asked Maharashtra Congress leaders to use this opportunity and reach out to the people through various hand-to-hand joining programs. However, no big leaders of the state Congress are interested in reaching out to the people on the ground and expanding the party base. With no meetings taking place, the lethargic party leaders were not in the mood to utilise the positive atmosphere. The energy created by yatra may evaporate soon.
BJP corners Ajit Pawar over Kondeo statue
Leader of Opposition and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, despite having a close relationship with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, is still BJP’s target for a larger ideological reason. Pawar’s previous action on removing Dadoji Kondeo statue from Lal Mahal at Pune has not gone down well with the RSS and its affiliated organisations. Pawar even set up a committee to probe whether Kondeo was Shivaji’s Guru or not. His recent proximity with CM Eknath Shinde during the winter session did not go well with the BJP leadership. So, they raked up Sambhaji Maharaj issue against Pawar to corner him.
‘Govt not interested in conducting local polls’
In Maharashtra, the ruling establishment is not interested in calling the local body elections soon. As a result, major corporations like BMC, Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad and Thane have got the IAS administrator as ruler. It is unfortunate to give a lot of power in the hands of executives when there are legislators available to call the elections. People who were aspiring to start their political careers from the local level seem frustrated. Fed up with waiting for the elections, their resources for the elections are also exhausted. In Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, there is no elected body from the last 2.5 years, same is the situation in Aurangabad and Mumbai as well.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com