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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Govt assures swift UCC implementation

Mumbai: Maharashtra government unequivocally declared its commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code across the state, assuring the legislative assembly that a comprehensive legal framework is already in the advanced stages of formulation. Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam categorically stated on the floor of the House on Tuesday that the ruling Mahayuti administration is entirely positive about the swift introduction of the Uniform Civil Code to standardize personal laws. To...

Govt assures swift UCC implementation

Mumbai: Maharashtra government unequivocally declared its commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code across the state, assuring the legislative assembly that a comprehensive legal framework is already in the advanced stages of formulation. Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam categorically stated on the floor of the House on Tuesday that the ruling Mahayuti administration is entirely positive about the swift introduction of the Uniform Civil Code to standardize personal laws. To facilitate this monumental legislative transition, the state government has formally sanctioned the constitution of a dedicated expert committee, which is being spearheaded by a retired High Court judge. This committee has been entrusted with the critical responsibility of meticulously preparing the draft bill for the Uniform Civil Code, which the government intends to enact immediately upon the submission of the final report. Emphasising the overarching objectives of the proposed legislation, Kadam noted that the Uniform Civil Code would universally apply to every citizen irrespective of their religious affiliations and would explicitly incorporate a stringent ban on the controversial practice of polygamy. The minister drew direct parallels with the legislative measures recently adopted by states like Uttarakhand, underscoring that the impending law in Maharashtra would similarly entail severe penal consequences, potentially including imprisonment for up to seven years for violations related to polygamy and illegal divorce practices. He firmly maintained that the government’s approach is fundamentally secular, harboring no animosity toward any specific religion, but is rather driven by the constitutional imperative to extend equal rights, legal protection, and comprehensive justice to women from all communities. This definitive policy assurance from the government was catalysed by a highly volatile calling attention motion initiated by BJP legislator Devyani Farande, which thrust the deeply sensitive issues of triple talaq and polygamy into the center of the assembly’s monsoon session. Farande brought the ongoing plight of Muslim women to the immediate attention of the House, asserting that despite the central government’s strict legislative prohibition, the illegal practice of instant divorce continues to flourish unabated.

Outsiders Welcome

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

Sudhir Mungantiwar

As the clock keeps ticking relentlessly towards the Maharashtra Assembly election on November 20, tensions simmering within the BJP ranks in eastern Vidarbha do not augur well for the ruling party.

Recent remarks by senior minister and six-term MLA , underscore the party’s internal strife regarding the candidacy of ‘outsider’ Kishor Jorgewar for the Chandrapur Assembly segment. While Mungantiwar’s public dissent against Jorgewar’s potential nomination seemingly reflects a broader unease within the party’s grassroots cadre, it highlighting the saffron party’s challenges of balancing electoral strategy with the loyalty of its dyed-in-wool cadre.


It also reflects a paradox: the BJP, in the name of ‘winnability’ is willing to embrace anyone (the induction of Ajit Pawar’s NCP being the most potent instance of this strategy) causing leaders like Mungantiwar, opposed tooth and nail to Jorgewar’s entry, now forced to welcome him out of ‘pragmatism.’

Kishor Jorgewar’s induction into the BJP was finalized after intense negotiations in Mumbai and Delhi over the past four days. Mungantiwar, who reportedly baulked before the BJP top brass in Delhi including Amit Shah, later did a volte face, saying he was changing his stance for the party’s benefit.


At Delhi, Mungantiwar had addressed the local BJP’s concerns about Jorgewar’s potential candidacy while suggesting that a dedicated BJP loyalist like Brajbhushan Pazare, should be nominated instead for Chandrapur. Ultimately, the BJP chose to back Jorgewar, while reportedly appeasing Mungantiwar’s confidante, Devrao Bhongle, with a ticket for the Rajura constituency.


Jorgewar, the incumbent MLA of the Chandrapur constituency, has long been the bete noire of Mungantiwar, the current legislator of adjacent Ballarpur.


The political dynamics of Chandrapur have been reflective of the shifts in the eastern Vidarbha region. Dominated by Congress from 1960 to 1990, the BJP started gaining ground there in the 1990s, with Mungantiwar holding the Chandrapur seat from 1995 until the 2008 delimitation reclassified the constituency as reserved for Scheduled Castes. While Mungantiwar shifted to Ballarpur, the seat was still retained by the BJP in the form of ex-MLA Nana Shamkule, who won both the 2009 and 2014 Assembly contests. However, BJP’s hold on Chandrapur was broken in 2019, when Jorgewar, fighting as an independent candidate, unseated Shamkule.


Despite internal opposition, some BJP leaders see Jorgewar’s candidacy as advantageous, and the central leadership, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is open to importing candidates based on merit. The Maharashtra Assembly polls have become crucial for the BJP’s state and central leadership after the party’s dismal performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.


Yet, the question lingers whether importing candidates will enhance the BJP’s electoral fortunes, or will it sow discord among party loyalists?


The implications of this dilemma extend beyond Chandrapur. Discontent is surfacing in other constituencies in eastern Vidarbha like Katol, where local leaders express dissatisfaction over potential nominations that threaten their standing. Ashish Deshmukh’s apprehensions regarding the candidacy of Charan Thakur highlight a growing concern that the central command’s decisions could further fracture local support.


The BJP’s underwhelming performance in the Lok Sabha elections certainly has intensified the urgency to fortify its ranks, particularly in strategically vital regions like Vidarbha. This sentiment is echoed in private conversations among BJP leaders, where the prospect of inducting turncoat candidates is seen as a ‘necessary evil’ only in exceptional circumstances.


And yet, the pursuit of ‘outsiders’ like Jorgewar reflects a desperate strategy in the face of electoral vulnerability. The need to balance meritocracy with grassroots loyalty has never been more urgent for the BJP.

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