Out of sync

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi is out of sync with his party under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. While circles close to Uddhav were throwing unambiguous hints about the Shiv Sena backing the UPA-Left nominee in the presidential polls, Joshi was gladly endorsing the NDA decision at meetings in Delhi.

When senior BJP leaders, citing newspaper reports on the divergent views of the Sena, asked the former Speaker if these were true, Joshi, surprise writ large on his face, said: 8220;It should not be like this, but I will still check with Balasaheb Thackeray.8221; Joshi, one would assume, made a reality check at Matoshri. And, as a result, he was not seen at the NDA strategy sessions thereafter. But that is not the end of Joshi8217;s woes. Now, when he has been allotted a bungalow No 10 on Ashoka Road in the vicinity of the BJP headquarters No 11, Sena circles are abuzz with snide remarks on his perceived proximity to the BJP vis-a-vis his own party.