Quid pro quo,perhaps

Behind the rhetoric of the Congress-NCP and the Shiv Sena-BJP alliances criticising each other in the run-up to the Assembly elections...

Behind the rhetoric of the Congress-NCP and the Shiv Sena-BJP alliances criticising each other in the run-up to the Assembly elections,lies a tacit understanding on certain issues. The unopposed election of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Manikrao Thakre as a member of the Legislative Council is one such issue. As neither the Sena nor the BJP thought of fielding a candidate against him,it has led to speculation about the parties having some sort of quiet quid pro quo arrangement in cases such as nominations to the Legislative Council and the Rajya Sabha.

Marathas vs Brahmins

There are longstanding differences between some Brahmins and Marathas over caste superiority. There have been historic public spats like the refusal of local Brahmins to coronate Chhatrapati Shivaji,which led to a special priest being called from Varanasi. Some Maratha leaders,meanwhile,accuse Brahmins of misrepresenting history to induct the names of Brahmins like Ramdas Swami and Dadoji Konddev to belittle Shivaji. The latest tiff has resulted in the removal from textbooks of Dadojis name as Shivajis mentor. Besides,there have been protests over appointing a Brahmin,Babasaheb Purandare,on a panel regarding the proposal to erect a giant statue of Shivaji in the Arabian Sea.

Mass appeal for NCP

Shattered over the debacle in the Lok Sabha polls,the NCP is likely to dilute its Maratha face and make overtures towards Dalits,OBCs and Muslims. Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal,who is an OBC leader,is blaming NCP state vice-president Vinayak Mete for alienating non-Maratha communities by launching a campaign on the eve of the polls to demand reservations for Marathas. Bhujbals conviction comes after NCPs Maratha leaders united to oppose his nephew Sameer in the Nashik constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. Sameer,however,managed to win with a slender margin.

National field,state goal

After the demise of Pramod Mahajan,his brother-in-law and BJP MP from Beed Gopinath Munde has been left without a mentor and has become an easy target for his detractors. He had even resigned last year after being marginalised in the party,but changed his mind after L K Advani intervened. In fact,even after getting elected to the Lok Sabha,Munde seems to be unwilling to let go of his hold on the state and,according to his detractors,is trying to get appointed as in-charge of Maharashtra affairs.

Hide and seek

The Ashok Chavan Government chose to keep under wraps a part of the report of the Ram Pradhan Committee on 26/11 despite an assurance to the Assembly. Instead,it tabled only 26 points,along with the action taken or contemplated,giving rise to speculation that the Government has a lot to hide. The Opposition has claimed that the report has indicted three ministers,but Chavan has denied it and pointed out that the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his deputy R R Patil have already been sacked. There is talk that either Narayan Rane or Siddharam Mhetre is the third minister.