Do not disturb Thackeray, spouse gives instruction
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was recently discharged from hospital after he underwent a cervical spine surgery. As doctors have advised him to take proper rest, the chief minister is spending most of the time at his private residence Matoshree.
The telephone operators at the residence have been categorically instructed that they should not pass phone calls and visitors directly to the chief minister till he recovers. Matoshree’s ‘home minister’ Rashmi Thackeray’s warning is that irrespective of the visitor’s stature, her husband should not be disturbed at their house at all.
Maharashtra government enforces ‘double cover’
During the winter session of the Maharashtra assembly, the state government enforced ‘double cover’ in view of the Omicron threat. As per the central government norms, a person travelling within India or going to mall or any public place should be either fully vaccinated or at have negative RT-PCR test report in past 48 hours.
But at Vidhan Bhavan of Maharashtra, where the winter session is on, both the norms have been made compulsory for all MLAs, ministers, officers and media persons. They should be fully vaccinated and have RT-PCR negative report as well.
Only then are they are allowed to enter the Vidhan Bhavan premises. Incidentally, Maharashtra on Thursday reported 23 new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, highest in a single day so far.
MLC bus missed due to upcoming BMC polls
BJP leader Chitra Wagh missed the MLC bus narrowly in Delhi. The two top BJP leaders in the state — Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil — had finalised the firebrand Chitra Wagh’s name for the MLC post in the recent MLC elections from Mumbai.
However, Rajhans Singh who had come from Congress and joined the saffron camp got the post due to the upcoming BMC elections. Some leaders of the state BJP convinced the central leadership that Singh, a north Indian, is very important for the party’s prospects in the city.
Ajit Pawar’s gesture to visiting Union minister
Union Home minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah was recently on a two-day tour of Maharashtra. After inaugurating a conclave on the cooperative sector in Ahmednagar district, Shah travelled to Pune.
He wanted to stay in the Circuit House but both the VIP suits at the guest house were reserved for the CM and the deputy CM. When this information reached Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was also in Pune and scheduled to stay at the Circuit House, he told Shah’s team that the Union minister could stay at his VIP suite.
The gesture of Pawar was praised by many as they felt the NCP leader showed the “true culture of Maharashtra”.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com