Disgruntled Bhujbal in Ajit Parv

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s direct attack on deputy chief minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar has brought back into focus the tiff between him and the top brass of the party. After he was snubbed as a minister in Mahayuti 2.0 government, Bhujbal made his unhappiness public. He was skipping party meetings and maintaining a distance from party leaders. He, however, attended the party’s conclave at Shirdi on Saturday and trained his guns directly on Ajit Pawar.

“The name of this conclave is Ajit Parv (Ajit era), which indicates everything. There is a monopoly in the party. I was punished because I speak my mind,” a disgruntled Bhujbal told the media. His aides say the senior leader’s grudge is that the party is being run by Ajit Pawar, national working president Praful Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare. On Saturday, Bhujbal told mediapersons how even the late Balasaheb Thackeray would consult a team of seniors in Shiv Sena before taking any important decision, as would Sharad Pawar in the undivided NCP.

The top brass of NCP initially ignored Bhujbal’s tirade and later tried to placate him. Both Tatkare and Patel spoke with him and requested him to attend the Shirdi conclave. However, that doesn’t seem to have helped. He attended the conclave but made it public that he has crossed swords with the party chief himself. Will Ajit Pawar try to pacify him or ignore the veteran leader’s attack on his authority? An unhappy Bhujbal could be a PR nightmare for the top leaders of the NCP.

Don’t try to be a contractor, Ajit tells partymen

In the same conclave, Ajit Pawar did not mince words while addressing his party colleagues and indirectly asked them to decide if they are in the party to work or to make money. His anger was aimed at those who keep pestering him for government contracts and transfers of government officers.

“Don’t try to be a contractor. People often come to me seeking work and when they are given some work, they give it as sub-contract to other contractors. Stop doing this, ”he said in his address. He also told them not to approach him for transfers. “Seek my intervention in transfers only if there in injustice happening with someone. Don’t come to me for tenders and government work. Are you interested in the party organisation or in such work,” he asked them. Will Ajit Pawar be able to cleanse the system, when money and politics are seen to go hand in hand?

Maintain probity, Modi and RSS too advise legislators

It’s not just Ajit Pawar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayavmsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders also imparted similar advice to Mahayuti MLAs and BJP ministers respectively last week. In his interaction with Mahayuti legislators on Wednesday, PM Modi asked them to stay away from financial irregularities and scams and maintain a clean image. On Saturday, in their brainstorming session with BJP ministers, RSS functionaries advised the former to avoid a lavish lifestyle. Poor Mahayuti legislators and ministers are wondering how to adopt this in their current style when becoming financially strong, living in spacious bungalows or apartments and travelling in fancy SUVs has become a norm for netas across parties.

Bigger role for Chavan?

The stock of Ravindra Chavan is rising in state BJP. The Dombivli legislator was a minister in the Fadnavis-led BJP government and later in the first Mahayuti government. Considered close to Fadnavis, Chavan also played an important role in taking Eknath Shinde’s MLAs out of the state to Surat right under the nose of MVA government when the Uddhav Thackeray-led government was pulled down. He was however dropped when Mahayuti returned to power and Fadnavis formed the cabinet. Chavan, however, seems to be getting a bigger responsibility. It is more or less clear in BJP that Chavan will be state BJP chief to succeed Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Earlier this month, he was made working president of the state unit. In the party’s conclave at Shirdi, union home minister Amit Shah made it a point to mention his name. Things are looking up for the low-profile Chavan who was unhappy for missing a cabinet berth a month ago.

Why sugar coating is important

At a conference on climate change last week, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar did some straight talk. Expressing concern over river pollution, he said, “People who take a dip in Ganga complain about skin diseases. This is what we have done to our rivers.” However, he faced criticism for his words considering Mahakumbh is on in Prayagraj. Mungantiwar clarified that he was talking about quality of water in rivers and how it is the responsibility of everyone to keep them clean. Known for speaking his mind, Mungantiwar however realised that sometimes sugarcoating the truth is important in politics.