Mumbai Confidential: Brother trouble

A Shiv Sena minister recently found himself in hot water after his brother began overstepping boundaries within the department. Matters escalated when the brother allegedly impersonated the minister during a phone call with an official. After multiple complaints reached the top brass, the minister was summoned and told, in no uncertain terms, to keep his sibling away from official affairs. Already under pressure due to demands for inquiries into tenders cleared by his predecessor, the minister has now been advised to put the “overactive” brother on silent mode.

Sticking With Shelar

With Ravindra Chavan taking over as Maharashtra BJP chief, the focus has shifted to the Mumbai unit especially ahead of the crucial BMC elections. Despite the party’s “one-man-one-post” principle, the BJP has decided to retain Ashish Shelar as both Mumbai unit chief and cabinet minister. The reason? Leadership doesn’t want to risk handing the city over to controversial imports or gamble with a North Indian face at a time when the Marathi plank is gaining traction. Shelar, a seasoned Mumbaikar, had led the BJP to its best-ever BMC tally in 2017 with 82 seats, just two short of the then-undivided Shiv Sena.