Maharashtra Newsletter: RR Patil— A rare personality in politics

‘Can’t bear, Can’t share’
Feeling insecure due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis’ rising support base, BJP’s oldest ally Shiv Sena is once again throwing up bitter unwarranted taunts even while sharing power in the Maharashtra Government as well as in Centre. Party chief Uddhav Thakrey, set aside generally accepted civil norms of not attacking alliance partners and openly took unwarranted jibes at PM and BJP President Amit Shah in a press conference, while reacting to the AAP’s win in Delhi and later about Bihar developments. Till date, barring this election period, when Shiv Sena fought against BJP, all the taunting had came through its mouth piece-daily Saamana.
At the time of writing this report, Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana’s stern remarks which tried to blame the CM Fadnavis about the law and order situation in reference to the attack of CPI leader Govindrao Panasare, were the latest in the series. Surprisingly, it was Shiv Sena, which was blamed for the murder of Mumbai’s powerful communist trade union leader Comrade Krishna Desai, couple of decades back.
The political pandits here think that the Sena is trying to occupy the opposition space even while holding the ministerial positions. The elections of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), scheduled in next year may be the main reason. The rise of AAP in Delhi might be another reason. The Assembly Elections couple of months ago have already busted the myth of Sena’s “mass base” in semi-urban and rural areas. With the huge budget, holding on to BMC power might be Sena’s last and only resort for political survival, a senior journalist feels.
Some elements closer to Shiv Sena believe that Sena is even planning to separate itself from the cultural platforms it had been sharing with Hindutva parivar for many years. The social activists are stunned at the inability of the Shiv Sena’s current leadership to judge the popular sentiments.
Observers believe that, the narrow minded approach of the Sena to see and judge everything through the electoral politics and its efforts to link every cultural event to elections, is not going down well with the educated middle class and youngsters in the state.                           —Organiser Bureau