By Rahil Nora Chopra
A significant shift is occurring in Maharashtra’s political landscape. Former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday visited his cousin, MNS supremo Raj Thackeray, at his Mumbai residence to offer prayers on Ganesh Chaturthi. The visit once again highlighted the growing bonhomie between the two cousins, who have had a history of strained ties both personally and politically. The meetings have fuelled speculation of a Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance. While Uddhav remains a key figure in the Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA bloc, Raj supported the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls before contesting the Assembly polls independently. Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray shared a stage on July 5, hinting at a wider alliance in the run-up to the upcoming local body polls under the banner of Maratha-bhasha and Marathi-manoos. On July 27, Raj visited Matoshree in Bandra to greet Uddhav on his 65th birthday Although the cousins who were both once key leaders of the Shiv Sena have been bitter rivals for three decades. If they do reunite politically, it could mark another upheaval in Maharashtra politics, a state already roiled and fractured by the splits in both the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
INDIA BLOC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE B SUDERSHAN REDDY MEETING ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES
INDIA bloc Vice-Presidential candidate Retired Justice B Sudershan Reddy stepped up his campaign by holding crucial meetings with key leaders of the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) this week. General Secretary of the CPI, D Raja announced full support for Justice B Sudershan Reddy stating that Reddy upholds constitutional values and morality at a time when the nation faces grave threats from right-wing communal fascist forces. Addressing the media at the CPM party office, MA Baby described Justice Reddy as a “highly competent and eligible citizen”. Earlier, Reddy visited Chennai on August 21 to meet with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and DMK MPs. On August 22, he travelled to Lucknow, where he interacted with leaders of the Samajwadi Party, including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and other opposition leaders. The interactions highlight INDIA bloc’s collective effort to build consensus and strengthen nationwide support ahead of the Vice-Presidential election scheduled for September 9.
RAHUL AND TEJASHWI DRAWING MASSIVE CROWDS DURING VOTER ADHIKAR YATRAIN BIHAR
The ongoing 16-day, 3,000-km Yatra of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been drawing massive crowds in Bihar, with people lining the roads, waving flags, and cheering him. Hundreds of young people were seen clicking selfies. While Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav rode motorcycles as they made their way through the streets of Muzaffarpur district during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen riding pillion on her brother’s motorcycle. People lined up on the streets to welcome them. On the other hand, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar. Addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, the DMK leader alleged that the BJP-controlled government was behind the deletion of nearly 65 lakh names from the voters’ list in Bihar, calling it a democratic massacre and worse than terrorism. Stalin, accompanied by his sister and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, participated in the yatra alongside other INDIA bloc leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
NDA PARTNERS ARE AT FINAL STAGE OF SEAT SHARING TALKS ON BIHAR POLLS
As the high-stake battle for Bihar assembly polls inches closer, the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) is at the peak of seat sharing. According to sources, the most important partnership in the NDA is to be fixed between BJP and JDU. Both parties can contest almost equal seats in the 243 -member assembly. It is discussed that BJP and JDU can get over 100 seats. But the biggest challenge is about LJP (Ram Vilas). ChiragPaswan’s party is demanding to contest 35 to 40 seats, but the top leadership of the NDA is calling it impractical. The JD(U), however, is not in favour of giving the LJP more than 20 seats. While HAM and RLM are likely to get 6 and 4 seats. Now BJP has a stiff challenge to reach a consensus on seat-sharing with JD(U), LJP and other smaller parties.
FRESH ROW BETWEEN DIVIJAYA SINGH AND KAMAL NATH DIVIDES MADHYA PRADESH CONGRESS
A fresh row has erupted in the Madhya Pradesh Congress with party stalwarts and former chief ministers, Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, openly blaming each other for causing the rebellion of former party heavyweight Jyotiraditya Scindia. In a recent media interview, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh claimed that the fall of the Congress government after 15 months stemmed from differences between Kamal Nath and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Responding on social media platform X, former chief minister Kamal Nath wrote that there was “no use digging up old matters” but admitted Scindia’s resentment played a decisive role. “Apart from personal ambition, Scindia felt Digvijaya Singh was running the government. In this resentment, he broke Congress MLAs and toppled our government,” Nath posted. The exchange has landed at an awkward moment for the Congress. Just weeks earlier, Rahul Gandhi launched an ambitious organisational restructuring drive in Bhopal, appointing new district presidents and stressing unity as the party’s only path to revival in Madhya Pradesh. That effort now risks being overshadowed by public sparring between two of its tallest leaders, both of whom were central to the events of 2020 when Scindia led 22 MLAs into the BJP camp, paving the way for the return of a Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government. The open confrontation between Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath has not only revived bitter memories of Congress’s fall from power but also raised questions over whether Rahul Gandhi’s call for unity can truly take root in a state long marked by infighting. (IPA Service)
