Sharad Pawar asserts pole position in NCP
NCP chief Sharad Pawar generally avoids pitching for any individual candidate during his rallies,
leaving such decisions for the party election committees and other leaders. However, surprisingly,
during his recent Solapur tour, he announced the NCP candidate for the state Assembly even though the election is more than a year away. This was seen as a move on his part to assert his position within the party when it comes to identifying the candidates. It is also an indirect message to NCP aspirants who are eyeing tickets for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls that he is the boss, and not his nephew Ajit Pawar, when it comes to such decisions.
Raj Thackeray makes U-turn, praises Congress
MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who built his political career on Hindutva issues and projecting himself as the saviour of Hindus, has changed his tune after the change in electoral fortunes for the Congress. He has praised the role played by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and attributed the party’s sweep of Karnataka polls to it. The Yatra had gone through 24 state constituency, where Congress had won the 17 seats against 5. This hasn’t gone down well with the BJP which termed his remark as his ‘personal opinion’. However, Raj Thackeray said that political leaders need to appreciate even the work of another party which BJP leaders don’t understand.
Patole meets Rahul to lobby against removal
After learning that he may be replaced with a ‘more resourceful leader’ ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the incumbent president of the Maharashtra state unit of the Congress Nana Patole rushed to Delhi to meet party leader Rahul Gandhi. Patole reportedly requested that he should not removed now as the state is likely to go for polls in just a year and should be given the opportunity to prove his mettle in the elections. He promised Gandhi to work towards improving the party’s prospects in Maharashtra and Vidarbha as well.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com