Kolhapur best place for retirement: Sharad Pawar
After hinting at his retirement from politics and encouraging the younger generation within the party, Sharad Pawar, the founder of the NCP and former union minister, recently reiterated his desire to step down. At a recent event in Kolhapur, the 84-year-old Pawar said Kolhapur would be the ideal place for him to retire, given his emotional connect to it. He stated that he would prefer the calm and serene environment of Kolhapur over the hustle and bustle of city life in Mumbai and Pune. He said that his mother hailed from Kolhapur, a city known for its pioneering efforts in social reform and the secular ideology promoted by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.
Congress to swap, not replace its state president
The Congress party has decided against immediately replacing state president Nana Patole, for which it had zeroed down on a few probable names. Instead, the party may consider swapping Patole with another state party president as part of a mass reshuffle across the country. There are discussions within the party about the need for a significant overhaul to infuse fresh talent and provide opportunities for young leaders. This move aims to rejuvenate the discouraged and weakened party cadre and leadership in the state.
No free hand in choosing their staff in Mantralaya
A strange directive from higher-ups has placed some ministers in a difficult position in the Mantralaya. In a clear divide among the bureaucracy, officers aligned with the current government stand a better chance of appointment than those who previously worked with the Congress, Shiv Sena, and NCP governments. The ministers have to select from a list of officers provided to them. They are required to choose their office staff, such as personal assistants and officials on special duty, exclusively from this list. When some ministers expressed a desire for efficient officers with no political affiliations, their requests were denied with the explanation that all must select only from the list.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com