Today in Politics: BJP’s Shivaji outreach continues, with fresh pitch for memorial in Mumbai

“It was decided to have a monument for Maratha king Shivaji in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai. Its foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and we were also present on the occasion. However, the work did not start, most likely due to environmental issues,” Bhosale said in Pune after visiting Phule Wada on the birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

IN CONTEXT: Whether a government function or a conclave or rally of a political party irrespective of its ideology, a statue of Shivaji always finds a place of pride on the podium. For more than two decades, the proposed Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai has been a political issue in the state, with all main parties mentioning it in their manifesto.

The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government first conceptualised the memorial project ahead of the 2004 elections. It also prominently featured in its election manifesto in 2009. When the BJP and the Shiv Sena were voted to power in 2014, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised to fast-track the project and ensure its completion “within 40 months”. In the 2016-’17 Budget, the government allocated Rs 70 crore. The 192-metre statute would be complete with an art museum, food courts, and light and sound auditoriums to be built in a public-private partnership at an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore. However, the project is not anywhere near completion yet.

Though there are Shivaji statues in all 355 talukas and almost all villages across the state’s 36 districts, each government in the last two decades has pitched Shivaji statues to enhance its electoral prospects. And not just statues, several key public spaces have been renamed after the 17th-century king. In March 1996, Mumbai’s Victoria Terminus was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Three years later, the city airport was renamed after the warrior-king, In 2017, the word “Maharaj” was added to the names of both the railway terminus and the airport after approval from the Centre.

New Tamil Nadu BJP chief

Senior Tamil Nadu BJP leader and MLA Nainar Nagendran is all set to be appointed the new state president of Tamil Nadu.

Top BJP and RSS sources told The Indian Express on Friday that the official announcement is expected to be made Saturday evening following a meeting of the party’s state executive committee.

Nagendran, a prominent Thevar community leader from Tirunelveli and the BJP’s legislative party leader in the state, is the clear favourite of the central leadership, multiple sources confirmed. “Nainar will file the nomination today between 2 pm and 4 pm, and others may file on his behalf too. Necessary changes to the nomination and election process will be made within the party’s template rules, if required,” a senior leader said.

According to BJP insiders, there is no serious contest for the post, despite speculation around other names such as Vanathi Srinivasan and former state president Tamilisai Soundararajan. “Everyone knows Nainar is Delhi’s choice. Any attempt to lobby now will be seen as defying the leadership’s wishes,” a senior BJP functionary said. “There are no conflicting voices so far. Even those with ambition have stayed away.”

The move comes just days after the state president K Annamalai publicly said he is “not in the contest for the new state chief” and would continue to serve as “an ordinary cadre”. His exit was framed not as a demotion but as part of a calculated strategy to recalibrate the party’s leadership profile in the state, particularly in view of the alliance with the AIADMK.