Council polls: Plot yet to unravel
June 6 is the last date for the Maharashtra Governor to nominate 12 members to the Legislative Council from his quota.
As per normal practice, these names for the Upper House of the Assembly are recommended by the state Cabinet and then approved by the governor.
The Maharashtra Cabinet has not yet submitted its list as Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena are yet to finalise the names.
It is interesting to see whether Governor BS Koshyari will wait for the Cabinet’s list or announce his own choice of people with BJP-RSS backdround.
Snubbed in polls, NCP veterans irked
NCP workers who put their heart and soul for the expansion of the party are rattled after their leaders were neglected in the Legislative Council nominations.
Recently, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar recommended Amol Mitkari, who had joined the NCP a few months before the Maharashtra elections, as his choice.
It is natural that party loyalists and veterans, who do not get the chance to contest polls, expect nominations to Council or Rajya Sabha.
A debate has started in a WhatsApp group of the NCP that if the party continues to ignore veterans, then there is no point in working hard and giving time and resources to the party.
The common demands in such groups are that NCP loyalists should be given priority ahead of outsiders and newcomers.
Boost for CM Uddhav’s image
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray featured as the best chief minister in a survey done by a private agency.
Uddhav’s popularity is said to have soared in pandemic because of his nonplussed addresses and informing the people in a soft, approachable way.
For Uddhav, who is the first from the Thackeray family to be a CM, this recognition comes as another feather for the Shiv Sena’s first family.
It has also comes as a boost to his leadership and silenced his critics who were saying that Uddhav’s zero administrative experience would come in the way of his functioning.
Past catches up with Patole
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Nana Patole has expressed his desire to the Congress leadership in Delhi to work for the party expansion if he is made the state president.
Patole, a firebrand OBC leader, had earlier joined the BJP but left it after he was ignored. Patole is close to Rahul Gandhi.
However, Patole’s stint as a BJP MP may come in his way to become the state party president.
The Congress leadership checks the history and past record and loyalty towards the party while assigning important and crucial positions to leaders.
The Congress brass is also not keen on making Patole the state party head.