Patole’s emerging stardom
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole ensures that he spends most of his time at his Tilak Bhavan office meeting people. Patole is a full-time Maharashtra Congress president and has been making all-out efforts to rejuvenate the party in the state. He has stirred some controversy or the other that has kept him in the limelight. The party’s prospects in the next election are unclear, however, Patole has succeeded in grabbing more media attention than his rival politicians in recent times.
Even ministers find it tough to meet Uddhav
In Maharashtra, the governor’s office is more approachable than that of the chief minister’s, even for ministers. According to sources, Governor Bhagat Singh Kosyari’s office quickly gives appointments after verifying the credentials of the persons wanting to meet the governor. By contrast, it is difficult to get an appointment to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Even ministers in his government have to think twice before seeking appointments as rejections are more common than acceptances. As a result, the government publicity department issues more press notes for programs at Governor’s Office than the Chief Minister’s Office.
Munde sisters in a spot as father’s glory fades
Once upon a time in Maharashtra, the name of late Gopinath Munde carried a weight in the BJP. However, today, his daughters Pankaja and Pritam Munde are struggling to stay relevant in the party. The party’s leadership is no longer concerned about the sisters. The recent cabinet expansion has given them a clear message that if they want to stay in the party, they can do so without any expectations. Otherwise they may leave. If they leave, they could face probe by central agencies. If they stay, they must worry about wasting some important years of their political career.
Centre’s go-to man in Maharashtra
Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis may have failed to bring the BJP back to power in Maharashtra. However, he continues to wield some influence over the party’s national leadership, which listens to his opinion. Pritam Munde, the sister of Pankaja Munde, once a CM aspirant and Fadnavis’ rival was ignored while Bhagwat Karad, close to Fadnavis, was made a minister. Recently inducted cabinet ministers from Maharashtra—Narayan Rane, Dr Bharati Pawar, and Kapil Patil—all had the backing of Fadnavis
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com