NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar is in a dilemma over supporting the BJP-led NDA to pass its two crucial bills – women’s reservations and delimitations. All this while, the 86-year-old veteran politician maintained a safe distance from the BJP even though he safely hobnobbed time to time. Now, at the fag end of his political career, his party, with ten Lok Sabha MPs, is keen to join the power and be part of the BJP-led NDA, but Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule are reluctant to be part of the government; they are keen to keep their secular and progressive image and continue the legacy of the first CM of Maharashtra, YB Chavan.
Assembly’s monsoon session worked for 2 weeks
The Maharashtra State Assembly’s monsoon session functioned for a total of 14 days, that is, 127 hours and 54 minutes. On an average, the House functioned for 9.54 hours daily, but it lost 25 minutes due to the absence of ministers in the House. In both Houses, 9,094 questions were raised during the question hours; out of them, only 410 questions were accepted, and 58 were answered. The state legislative council functioned till late at night for several days so that all the members of the House could speak and raise their issues.
Ministers, MLAs asked to appoint their PAs
The ruling party ministers and MLAs have been asked to appoint their personal assistants (PAs)—people with a key decision-making role who have a staunch RSS or its affiliated organisations’ background. If anyone tries to give the wrong impression that he is from RSS, then that person’s background check must be done; if it is valid, then only that person is to be entrusted with the responsibility. Besides, a person who comes from RSS or its affiliated organisations has easy access to the corridors of power and access to ministers’ offices and departments. According to a source, ‘RSS pariwar’ and ‘rachana’ are words heard too often in the state’s power centre.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com