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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, AUG 19: Despite the suspension of a record number of Shiv Sena legislators, the eight-month-old Vilasrao Deshmukh Government continues to be in a besieged state. A fresh crisis is now brewing in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), one of the main constituents of the Congress-led Democratic Front.
“Following the suspension of 13 Shiv Sena members, we felt the Sena-BJP would drop its grand plan to topple the government, but we were stunned when we learnt that the alliance was undeterred and was in the process of drafting a new strategy in connivance with a senior NCP leader,” a senior Congress Minister said.
After a section of the Shiv Sena members damaged furniture inside the legislative council hall to protest against the arrest of Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the Assembly had suspended them for a period ranging from six months to one year. “Certainly, the suspension was not politically motivated, but at the same time, we were under the impression that the stringent decision would restrain them (the Sena-BJP) from making fresh attempts to dislodge us,” the Minister said.
But the Sena-BJP alliance appears unperturbed by the suspension of its members. On the one hand, it continues to press for the decision to be revoked before appropriate authorities including Governor P C Alexander and on the other hand, it has geared up its activities to topple the Deshmukh government with a renewed vigour.
Senior cabinet members of Congress as well as NCP feel that disciplinary action should be taken against former Chief Minister Sudhakarrao Naik for his anti-party activities as well as Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal for his inability to contain rebellion within his own party.
“It is no more a secret that Naik is in constant touch with Sena leader Narayan Rane as well as BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari. Under such circumstances, we feel NCP President Sharad Pawar should immediately expel Naik from the organisation for anti-party activities,” a NCP cabinet member said.
Naik’s closeness with Shiv Sena, particularly with Sena chief Bal Thackeray is well known. Ever since the installation of the Congress-led Democratic Front government, Naik has insisted on the formation of the Sena-BJP-NCP government and keep the Congress away from power. In fact, last week there were reports that Naik was all set to form a separate party, Maharashtrawadi Congress.
However, now, Naik has taken a diagonally opposite stand. In a statement from Pusad, his home town, Naik said that he was never involved in any toppling game and that in fact he was keen that the Congress-led Democratic Front government completes its full term in the office.
So far as Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal is concerned, senior NCP Ministers feel that his wings should be clipped or at least he should be divested of the home department to save the party.“Senior NCP cabinet members have sought the intervention of Sharad Pawar to resolve the dispute,” the NCP Minister said.
Another Congress Minister made it clear that if the Congress-led Democratic Front government was instable, it was owing to crisis in the NCP. “So far as the Congress is concerned, there is absolutely no problem. I feel Sharad Pawar should first set his house in order. He should give top priority to tackle the growing discontent in the NCP,” the Congress Minister pointed out.
