Mumbai Confidential: Fellowship Talk

Maharashtra on January 20 restarted the Chief Minister Fellowship programme, with the government resolution (GR) being issued by the Planning Department, led by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The GR on May 20, 2016, however, was issued by the General Administration Department, headed by the then CM, Fadnavis. The committee which will select 60 fellows for the programme does not even have a single representative from the CM office, but all from the DCM office or departments led by Fadnavis. The CMO has not given all out access to the fellows this time, it seems.

Mere Coincidence?

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil’s rise in BJP is astounding. He handles one of the most crucial departments — the Revenue — with BJP showing tremendous trust for an outsider like him. Now, Prakash Ambedkar has also spoken about what had been a ‘silent gossip’ in the Mantralaya corridors over the last one month. Vikhe Patil’s name being discussed for the chief ministerial post, and his arch-rival (even during Congress days) Balasaheb Thorat’s nephew Satyajeet Tambe suddenly displaying cordial relationship with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis could merely be a coincidence. But who knows?