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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 4:59:11 pm

Fadnavis reins in Sena’s Marathi push

AI generated image Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra is witnessing a delicate political balancing act, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis increasingly overriding key decisions of alliance partners, particularly the Shiv Sena, while simultaneously attempting to placate them on other fronts. The tension within the alliance came to the fore on Thursday when Fadnavis stepped in to dilute a controversial mandate enforced by Shiv Sena Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, which...

Fadnavis reins in Sena’s Marathi push

AI generated image Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra is witnessing a delicate political balancing act, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis increasingly overriding key decisions of alliance partners, particularly the Shiv Sena, while simultaneously attempting to placate them on other fronts. The tension within the alliance came to the fore on Thursday when Fadnavis stepped in to dilute a controversial mandate enforced by Shiv Sena Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, which required auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai to possess basic Marathi language proficiency. The Transport Department’s enforcement drive, which threatened non-Marathi-speaking drivers with suspension or cancellation of their licences, sparked outrage among North Indian drivers who form a sizeable section of the public transport workforce in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Protests brought parts of Mumbai, including Kandivali and Malad, to a standstill. Recognising the potential electoral fallout, Fadnavis intervened, saying drivers need not be “experts” in Marathi. He also extended the grace period for drivers to acquire a working knowledge of the language to one year, effectively diluting Sarnaik’s hardline stance. Fadnavis announced the decision after a delegation of transport operators met him. The episode highlights the conflicting political compulsions of the Mahayuti partners. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena is keen to pursue a pro-Marathi, “sons of the soil” agenda to consolidate its traditional voter base and counter the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. The BJP, however, relies heavily on North Indian and migrant voters in the MMR, particularly as crucial civic and state elections approach. Any aggressive regional policy that alienates this constituency could have electoral consequences for the party. The Marathi language issue is not an isolated instance of Fadnavis stepping in to override decisions associated with the Shiv Sena. It fits into a broader pattern of the chief minister’s administration reviewing or reversing several initiatives of the previous government headed by Shinde. In April 2026, the BJP-led Environment Department, headed by Minister Pankaja Munde, scrapped 14 lake conservation projects, 11 of which had been cleared during Shinde’s tenure, and ordered recovery of more than Rs 73 crore. The Fadnavis government has also modified several initiatives introduced by the previous regime. In January 2025, it altered Shinde’s three-course school meal plan, placing the responsibility on local school management committees to raise funds for sweet dishes. In April 2025, the government scrapped the ‘One State, One Uniform’ policy for schools. A Rs 3,200-crore tender for mechanised housekeeping services at government hospitals, issued under the Shinde government, was also stayed. Yet, Fadnavis remains conscious of the need to preserve the fragile alliance. To manage growing resentment within the Sena, he has adopted what can be described as a ‘blow hot, blow cold’ approach — overriding decisions when they clash with the BJP’s broader political interests while offering political concessions on other fronts. One such move was the recent appointment of Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale as Guardian Minister of the politically important Raigad district, ending a 19-month-long tussle over the post. At the same time, the Mahayuti government recently reduced the powers exercised by Guardian Ministers over District Planning Committee (DPC) funds, directing that 70 per cent of the funds be allocated directly to local MLAs. The move is aimed at reducing the concentration of financial powers with individual ministers. As the Mahayuti navigates these competing interests, Fadnavis has also instructed alliance partners to resolve disputes internally and avoid public sparring. However, the latest confrontation over the Marathi language requirement underscores the limits of that arrangement. While Fadnavis continues to use his authority to protect the BJP’s broader electoral interests, the Shiv Sena remains under pressure to assert its regional identity and distinguish itself from the Thackeray faction. With elections approaching, balancing these competing political priorities is likely to remain one of the biggest challenges for the Mahayuti government.

Chakankar resigns; oppon wants her arrest

Mumbai: The chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission Rupali Chakankar stepped down from the post on Friday night following her name figuring in the controversy related to a self-styled godman Ashok Kharat.


Chakankar tendered her resignation following the instructions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “I am resigning due to personal reasons,” Chakankar mentioned in her resignation letter submitted to Fadnavis.


Earlier, in the day the opposition parties had mounted pressure on the government to first sack Chakankar and then arrest her for “shielding” Kharat, who stands accused on sexually exploiting 58 women in a span of a couple of years.


The row after the arrest of celeb godman, ‘Captain’ Ashok Kharat snowballed with politicians, social organisations and women activists demanding the arrest of Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women Chairperson Rupali Chakankar for her alleged links and attempts to shield the accused.


Kharat, who was nabbed by Nashik Police three days ago, is now subjected to a multi-pronged probe by a SIT headed by an IPS officer, Tejaswi Satpute, for allegations ranging from rape, making videos of his victims, blackmail, extortion, and amassing huge wealth, ostensibly with political backing, including Chakankar, who is the ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party’s Women’s Wing President.


Earning monikers like ‘Asaram Bapu’, ‘Baba Ram Rahim’ and even ‘Jeffrey Epstein’, the astrologer-numerologist-cosmologist-spiritual healer Kharat’s exploits and escapades have rattled the political landscape as many more purported links, videos and photographs hit the social media. Those facing the include range from Chakankar to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, plus ministers, lawmakers, celebs and others.


Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, Sushama Andhare; NCP’s Rupali Patil-Thombre, Congress’ Atul Londhe, activists Karuna Munde, Anjali Damania, RPI (SK) President Sachin Kharat and others clamoured for Chakankar’s sack from both the high posts.

“Arrest Chakankar, subject her to a narco-test, check her financial dealings with Kharat and scan the phone CDR of both. A Mumbai Deputy Collector is now sponsoring Kharat’s legal battle, many women have disclosed that he indulged in ‘aghori’ practices. On Amavasya, Chakankar and other women had slashed their fore-fingers for some rituals, and they frequented crematoriums at the dead of the night,” claimed Andhare.


Suspecting Chakankar may have absconded as she is not visible in public for a couple of days, Patil-Thombre threatened to take out a massive protest march of women to Mantralaya if she was not sacked.


Mundhe revealed that she had seen many photos of Minister Dhanajay Munde (her estranged husband) with Kharat, “who used to perform sorcery on my kids and me”.


Referring to an old video that has come to light, Damania said it was shocking how Chakankar could compare a person like Kharat with Lord Vitthoba of Pandharpur Temple, and promised to reveal more sleaze on the Big Bucks Bhondu Baba.


Shady Activities

BJP Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil claimed that he was aware of the shady activities of Kharat even before the first complaint was lodged at Shirdi Police Station. “The SIT must also probe his ‘Shri Shivnika Sansthan Trust’ and Trustees, its financial and realty dealings,” demanded Vikhe-Patil.


Raut contended that “at least nine ministers are Kharat’s ‘Bhakts’ (devotees) and they must be probed”, while lauding CM Devendra Fadnavis for taking cognizance of the matter well before the godman was nabbed.


Working President of NCP Praful Patel announced that the party will take action against all those found involved in the Bhondu Baba’s activities, but state President Sunil Tatkare stonewalled questions by the media on Kharat.


Ajit Pawar victim of witchcraft: Mitkari

Making a sensational claim Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit R. Pawar claimed that some black magic articles were reportedly outside the late Deputy CM Ajit A. Pawar’s official and personal residences.


“This is deeply disturbing. If what MLC Amol Mitkari is true, then who was responsible for these dark rituals. Who are the ‘political monsters’ who commissioned such acts of sorcery and visited Ajitdada’s homes? Did someone go to his home on January 27 (a day before Ajit Pawar’s death in an aircrash in Pune)?”

demanded Rohit Pawar.


Mitkari claimed that in November last year, there was Shivratri and Amavasya (No Moon night) when some ‘aghori’ rituals were performed outside Ajit Pawar’s home in Pune allegedly at the instance of the ‘sex-crazy’ Kharat.

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