Terrain trouble

With the BMC in overdrive,vacating residents and shifting civic offices from its dilapidated buildings,civic officials are running helter-skelter searching for plum alternative spaces that will ease the tension of moving out. The swift order,issued to BMC offices,has created a shortage of not only rehabilitation flats but also offices for relocation. In fact,the head of a civic department was spotted at the BMC headquarters,staring blankly into the distance,murmuring,“Must find (a) 1,000 square feet room,1,000 square feet room.”

Flavour of Modi

Ever since the BJP named Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate,some people have gone the extra mile to market him. While Jai Shri Ram has been replaced with ‘NaMo’ as a way of greeting each other,T-shirts with Modi images have become a permanent fixture in all BJP rallies and public functions. At the BJP headquarters in Mumbai,many are quick to flaunt their flair for the Gujarati language and say that Modi speaks good Marathi. Leader of Opposition in state council Vinod Tawde has also chipped in. At his official residence,he has started serving khakra along with tea and coffee. And in case visitors overlook the new snack,he makes it a point to say: “Don’t miss the Gujarat special,khakra… a snack often prepared in Gujarati homes’.

Dams in distress

With an unexpected monsoon spell in the last week of September bringing cheer to several drought-prone villages in western Maharashtra,the Congress and NCP are locked in a fresh political duel. The Congress has begun projecting the availability of water in parched belts as an endorsement of water conservation initiatives pushed by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. It has even unofficially labelled several cement nullah bunds (CNBs),set up as part of the initiative to harvest rainwater,in these belts as ‘Prithvi’ dams. That the party is eyeing political mileage out of this became evident when a senior Congress leader recently said,“The ‘Prithvi’ dams now have water but the ‘Ajit’ dams continue to run dry.” The ‘Ajit’ dams are projects taken up by the NCP-controlled irrigation department. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar,who held the irrigation portfolio for a decade,is facing allegations of corruption in these projects. While the CM has publicly maintained that there could be no comparison between the benefits of CNBs and big dam projects,insiders said the party would use the ‘success story’ to strengthen its hold over the region,which has long been an NCP bastion.

Giving up on a dream?

Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Patangrao Kadam has apparently realised it is pointless to pursue his ambition of becoming Chief Minister. At a public rally,he conceded as much,saying,“What ultimately matters is to do good work and be happy. And work for public welfare.” Then almost revealing his own ‘secret’ ambition,he said,“I have seen how hard one works to attain the highest goals. But nothing matters in the end,as ultimately what matters is the decision of the High Command.” It is no secret that Kadam himself was always a strong contender for the top job. But over the past two years,he appears to have settled for a Cabinet post. Kadam is not the lone Cabinet minister to have accepted his situation. Even Industries Minister Narayan Rane,who was vying for the Chief Minister’s chair,has decided to maintain a low profile. MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre’s thoughts on his future remain private,having harboured similar ambitions himself.