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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

BJP’s mega induction drive in Nashik amid local friction

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) city office in Nashik turned into a high-stakes political theater on Thursday as the party executed a "mega induction drive" ahead of the crucial Municipal Corporation elections. In a move that signalled both the party's aggressive expansion and rising internal friction, five senior heavyweight leaders from the NCP-SP, Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and Shiv Sena (UBT) officially crossed over to the saffron fold. Former Nashik Mayor and...

BJP’s mega induction drive in Nashik amid local friction

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) city office in Nashik turned into a high-stakes political theater on Thursday as the party executed a "mega induction drive" ahead of the crucial Municipal Corporation elections. In a move that signalled both the party's aggressive expansion and rising internal friction, five senior heavyweight leaders from the NCP-SP, Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and Shiv Sena (UBT) officially crossed over to the saffron fold. Former Nashik Mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinayak Pande, Former Nashik Mayor from MNS and now Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Adv. Yatin Wagh, former MNS MLA now NCP-SP leader Adv. Nitin Bhosle, former Chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the Corporation Shahu Khaire (Congress) and Sanjay Chavan (SS-UBT) and MNS state secretary Dinkar Patil joined the BJP at Nashik along with their respective supporters and several former corporators on Thursday in presence of irrigation minister Girish Mahajan. Local BJP MLA Devyanhi Pharande, who is also the Municipal Corporation election in charge of the party, had been opposing induction of Adv. Wagh, Khaire and Pande into the party. In a social media post early in the morning, she accused the party leadership of keeping her in dark about the induction drive. Electric Atmosphere The atmosphere at the BJP headquarters was electric yet tense as the city witnessed the mega induction drive. Supporters of the incoming leaders arrived with drums and garlands, while a noticeable contingent of BJP "loyalists"—long-time party workers who have spent decades building the local unit—staged protest against the drive even as the police controlled them. Despite a formal protest and "strong opposition" voiced by these senior loyalists the party high command moved forward with the induction. The "grand drama" peaked as the five leaders were welcomed with traditional turbans and BJP scarves, even as some veteran workers briefly staged a silent demonstration outside the main hall, questioning the "dilution" of the party's core ideology for electoral gains. Pharande, who is in her third term as the party MLA from the city, had been winning on Hindutva plank from the constituency that has a sizable Muslim population. While some of the leaders inducted today had been winning on the basis of the Muslim vote bank in the city, at least two of them are being seen by Pharande as the prospective contenders for the assembly seat she is currently holding. That also explains why she mentioned that she had been a staunch Hindutva warrior, in her social media post, said a senior party sympathiser. Party insiders also said that she was informer only late in the night about the induction drive and there was no response to her calls to the party leadership, which led to demonstrations. Goal Of 100 However, the induction ceremony was presided over by Mahajan, often referred to as the party’s "crisis manager." Addressing the packed hall, Mahajan made no apologies for the move, framing it as a clinical necessity for the upcoming civic polls. "This induction is aimed at a spectacular victory in the ensuing elections," Mahajan declared. "With the influence and ground-level support these five leaders bring, I am confident the BJP shall win over 100 of the total 122 seats in the city corporation." The ambitious target of 100+ seats suggests that the BJP is looking to achieve a near-absolute majority, reducing the opposition to a negligible presence in the Nashik Municipal Corporation. Recognising the simmering resentment among the rank and file, Mahajan spent a significant portion of his speech addressing the "old guard." He assured the veterans that their sacrifices for the party would not be forgotten despite the arrival of new, high-profile entrants. Mahajan explicitly promised that "injustice won’t be done to the old, senior, loyal party workers." He also urged the cadres to "not worry" and instead focus on the larger goal of total dominance in the corporation. The exit of these five leaders is a significant blow to the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, both of which have recently announced alliances in other parts of the state to counter the BJP. By poaching talent from these specific camps, the BJP has effectively disrupted the local leadership chain of its rivals just as the election machinery begins to churn.

Orbital Muscle

For decades, India’s space programme has been defined by method rather than muscle. However, ISRO’s LVM3, aptly dubbed ‘Baahubali,’ signalled a shift when it sent the 6.1-tonne BlueBird Block-2 satellite into low Earth orbit. This was the heaviest spacecraft ever launched from Indian soil, signalling the country’s industrial maturity, commercial confidence and geopolitical intent.


Lift-off from Sriharikota was delayed by 90 seconds to avoid orbital debris, almost a reminder that space is no longer the pristine frontier of Cold War myth but a crowded commons. Fifteen minutes later, the American communications satellite was placed in a near-perfect circular orbit at just under 520 km. The margin of error, which was less than 1.5 km, was the best performance by an Indian launcher yet.


This was LVM3’s ninth consecutive success. Such a streak burnishes confidence in Gaganyaan, India’s long-delayed human spaceflight programme, now inching closer to reality. But the broader significance is that the mission, flown under a commercial contract between ISRO’s marketing arm, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and AST SpaceMobile of Texas, underscores India’s arrival as a serious player in the fast-growing market for heavy-lift launches to low Earth orbit.


That market is booming. Constellations of satellites designed to beam broadband directly to ordinary smartphones are proliferating. BlueBird Block-2 is part of AST SpaceMobile’s ambitious plan to deploy up to 60 satellites by 2026, offering direct-to-mobile 4G and 5G coverage worldwide. Such networks demand not just rockets that can lift heavy payloads, but launch providers that can deliver reliably and on tight schedules.


India is beginning to shine here. The LVM3-M6 mission was the first back-to-back flight of the rocket, with a turnaround time of just 52 days. Engineers squeezed out extra performance by replacing electro-hydraulic actuators with electro-mechanical ones on the massive S200 boosters, boosting payload capacity by over 150 kg.


NSIL says it has enquiries for six to ten LVM3 missions annually from 2026 onwards, with some customers seeking multiple launches a year. That would mark a sharp shift for a programme once focused almost exclusively on national missions. Over 45 years, ISRO has deployed 434 satellites for 34 countries. Now it is edging from dependable subcontractor towards strategic partner.


The political signalling is not accidental. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to hail the launch as a milestone, reinforcing India’s heavy-lift credentials and its role in the global launch market. Space has become an arena where technological prowess, economic ambition and national prestige intersect. For a country keen to project itself as a manufacturing hub and digital powerhouse, reliable access to orbit is a potent asset.


Still, challenges loom and global competition is fierce. SpaceX’s reusable Falcon rockets dominate the launch business, while China is rapidly expanding its own capabilities. India’s advantage lies in cost efficiency, engineering conservatism and a growing private ecosystem.


By lofting BlueBird into the heavens, Baahubali has announced that India is ready to play at scale in the orbital economy.

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