The Shiv Sena has not attended the meeting of the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on past Sunday, ahead of the month-long Winter session of Parliament that started from Monday, 18 November. In fact, all the three Rajya Sabha MPs of Shiv Sena will now sit in the opposition benches in Parliament. According to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have reached a consensus on a common minimum programme (CMP) on the basis of their proposed coalition government. The formation of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government would not only affect the state politics but also the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The mayoral election is being held on 22nd November as even though the two and half year term of the present Mayor expired in September this year, but due to the assembly polls held on October 21, the term of the Mayor was extended till November. In the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, the Shiv Sena had won 84 seats while BJP had won 82 seats in the 227-member civic house. The BJP had then extended support to the Sena and its leader Vishwanath Mahadeshwar was elected Mayor. The two parties drifted apart after the Assembly results were announced on October 24, with the Sena demanding equal share of the chief ministerial tenure which the BJP rejected. At present after joining 6 corporators of MIM and 4 independent corporators, the Shiv Sena has the strength of 94 seats, while BJP has 83, Congress has 28 seats, NCP has 8, SP has 6 seats, MIM has 2 seats, while MNS has 1 seat in the civic house. According to SP leader Rais Shaikh, SP is in touch with Congress. Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress will fight the Mayoral election unitedly and the discussion for this will be held soon after the formation of Shiv Sena-led government in the state.
PRESSURED BY JJP, BJP TOP BRASS, KHATTAR EXPANDS HARYANA CABINET
After 18 days since Cabinet formation, CM Manohar Lal Khattar has finally expanded his Cabinet in Haryana, but not like the way Khattar had done in his previous stint, when his BJP government had won 47 seats in the Haryana Assembly. In 2014, Khattar had constituted his Cabinet independently only after taking the nod from the BJP high command. However, this time, CM Khattar has included many ministers under pressure from the top, as many of his old Cabinet ministers lost the election this time. Bania community has a huge population in Haryana and Khattar wanted to include Deepak Mangla from Faridabad in his Cabinet as a Bania representative, but under the pressure from Central minister and MP from Faridabad — Krishan Pal Gurjar– he has had to include Mool Chand Sharma in place of Deepak Mangla. At present, no Bania community representative has been made a minister in the Haryana Cabinet. On the other hand, there are four Ministers from the Jat community – three in the Cabinet and one state minister. Anoop Dhanak, a Scheduled Caste MLA from JJP, has been made a state minister, while, in order to give a message to SC voters, Khattar has made Dr Banwari Lal a Cabinet minister. The senior most BJP MLA, Anil Vij, has been made the Home Minister in the Haryana government. However, Dushyant Chautala’s JJP is putting pressure on CM Khattar to at least include one more MLA from JJP into his Cabinet.
MIFFED WITH SHIV SENA, BJP HUMOURS OTHER ALLIES
The BJP is upset with the behaviour of Shiv Sena, one of its oldest allies and an ideological partner for three decades. As a result, the developments in Maharashtra seem to have had significant impact on the party leaders while finalising the BJP’s strategies for poll-bound Jharkhand. The party also seems to be making efforts to keep other alliance partners in good humour. When Chirag Paswan was made the president of the LJP replacing his father Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, both BJP chief Amit Shah and working president, JP Nadda, rang up Chirag Paswan to congratulate him. This is despite the fact the LJP is fighting the Jharkhand elections alone. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand where elections to its 81-member Assembly will be held in five phases from November 30, the BJP will have to fight against one of its oldest alliance partners, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which has decided to contest separately on all the seats in the state. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had made the party’s stand clear during the national council meeting in New Delhi.
IN-FIGHTING AMONG HINDU SEERS FOR INCLUSION IN RAM TEMPLE TRUST
After the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya, in-fighting has started off between sadhu, sant and various Hindu religious leaders, as they want to be included in the Ram Temple trust, which will be formed by the central government in three months. NSA Chief Ajit Doval has called for a meeting of religious leaders, to which he invited yoga guru and Patanjali honcho Baba Ramdev, thereby irritating many BJP and RSS leaders and sadhus associated with the Sangh. Many RSS and BJP functionaries consider Ramdev to be a businessman, who never had any association with the Ram Mandir/Ramjanmabhoomi movement. Most of the sadhus in Haridwar have criticized Ajit Doval on this issue as they are worried that Ramdev would be included in the trust because of Ajit Doval’s influence in the matter. Meanwhile, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad wants RSS supported Peethadeeshwar Swami Raj Rajeshwarashram of Jagat Guru Ashram Kankhal to be made the chief of the Ram Temple Trust.MahantNarendraGiri, the President of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad has demanded that the President and Secretary of the Akhara Parishad should be included in the Ram Temple Trust.
UDDHAV THACKERAY THE NEXT CHIEF MINISTER OF MAHARASHTRA
After several marathon discussions, a draft Common Minimum Programme (CPM) has been readied by the newly-minted alliance between Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress, following which, the focus has shifted to a power-sharing formula. Although Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress basically decided the power sharing arrangement, after his Pune visit and meeting with various NCP leaders, Sharad Pawar met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and discussed government formation in Maharashtra on Monday. According to sources, initial proposals are now being finalised. The distribution of 42 ministerial berths is on the plate, with the Shiv Sena set to bag the Chief Ministerial post, while the deputy chief minister will be reserved for NCP, and Congress is set to get Speaker of the Assembly. The key portfolios, including Home, Finance, revenue, corporative, public works, water resources, urban development, rural development and Agriculture, will be shared equally. According to sources, NCP will get home, finance and corporative, while Congress would get Agriculture, rural development and public works. In the same way, responsibility for other ministries and local departments has already been mutual decided. In a huge surprise, the latest buzz points towards Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray set to become the next chief minister of Maharashtra. (IPA)
Sabarimala Verdict – Curious Case Of Review Petitions Adjudication 