Mumbai diary

‘Sincere’ NCP minister awaits bigger job
Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde is the only NCP minister who has been submitting his ministry’s monthly progress report to party chief Sharad Pawar without fail. Munde, a young face of the party, is considered close to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. He was expected to get the Home or Irrigation Ministry in the Uddhav Thackeray government. However, his proximity with Pawar Jr. Has not gone well with Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, and state president Jayant Patil and Munde had to be content with a less important ministry. Munde feels after diligent and earnest work, he may able to please his super-boss and get a more key portfolio soon.

BJP leaders fearful of losing base in Maharashtra
Maharashtra BJP leaders are concerned about their prospects may erode further because of the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Since losing power in the state, the BJP has been on the backfoot on various issues and has not fared well whenever the narrative turned to ‘Maharashtra versus outsiders’. The Maha Vikas Agahdi, on the other hand, is harping on the regionalism agenda. BJP’s decision to support Kangna Ranaut and support Rajput’s murder theory and defaming Mumbai police, has not gone down well. BJP, under late Gopinath Munde and Eknath Khadse and other OBC leaders, has worked hard to change its ‘Brahmin-Baniya’ party image. However, under the leadership of Devendra Fadanvis — a Brahmin, there is fear that the BJP may turn back to its old image. 

Eknath Khadse set to  join NCP
Estranged BJP leader Eknath Khadse may end his 40-year association with the party and join the Nationalist Congress Party. Khadse recently met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and everything has been worked out for his entry into the party. Khadse is expected to become an MLC through Governor’s quota. He will be inducted into the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet to strengthen the party base in North Maharashtra. Earlier, Ajit Pawar had insisted that Khadse’s daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse, who is a BJP MP, should also resign but Khadse did not agree. It had delayed Khadse’s entry in NCP. However, Sharad Pawar has overruled his nephew’s objections. 

Koshyari urges CM to appoint MLCs from BJP
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has urged CM Uddhav Thackeray to also accommodate the opposition BJP in the nomination of 12 members of the state legislative council through the Governor’s quota. Koshyari’s message, sent through an emissary, called to give BJP the same number as Shiv Sena, NCP, and the Congress while appointing the MLCs. However, all three alliance partners of the ruling MVA have distributed four seats each among themselves and have no plan to give any MLC seat to any opposition party as per tradition.

Sudhir Suryawanshi 
Our correspondent  in Maharashtra suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com