top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MPs rebellion ‘splits’ even some families

Mumbai: Amid the rebellion by 6 Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, at least two of them have shot into the spotlight, but for entirely different and non-political reasons – Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli) and Sanjay Dina-Patil (Mumbai North-East). Despite their fathers currently in the process of shifting loyalties to the Shiv Sena headed by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, the son and daughter, respectively, of both these MPs have chosen to stay anchored firmly with SS (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray....

MPs rebellion ‘splits’ even some families

Mumbai: Amid the rebellion by 6 Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, at least two of them have shot into the spotlight, but for entirely different and non-political reasons – Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli) and Sanjay Dina-Patil (Mumbai North-East). Despite their fathers currently in the process of shifting loyalties to the Shiv Sena headed by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, the son and daughter, respectively, of both these MPs have chosen to stay anchored firmly with SS (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray. They are Krishna Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Rajool Sanjay Patil and both are emerging politicians in their own right and with politically bright prospects. Rajool is a SS (UBT) Municipal Corporator from Ward No. 114 (Bhandup) in her father’ constituency, and Krishna is the official Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate for the Nanded Local Authorities constituency in the Maharashtra Legislature’s upper house. However, the abrupt rebellion by their fathers - along with four other SS (UBT) MPs has raised question marks on their own loyalties and political moorings – with the MLCs election results scheduled on Monday. A Deputy Leader from Pune guardedly said that “the same norms under the anti-defection laws for parliament would apply” at all levels, preventing the duo (Krishna and Rajool) from following in their fathers’ footsteps. “After all, there are many examples where in the same family, different members owe allegiance to different political parties. They may have made their personal political calculations and survival before taking any plunge blindly in the name of ideology,” the leader told ‘The Perfect Voice’, requesting anonymity. A Mumbai leader averred that in case the political sand slips - for whatever reasons - in the ongoing defection drama, at least all in the family may not have to pay the price for a botch-up, as “these youngsters still have a long road ahead in politics”. On June 18, when Ashtikar’s name came among the six potential turncoats, Krishna faced an embarrassing situation as the MLC polling was underway that day. Krishna quickly mouthed bites to proclaim his allegiance to Thackeray and an equally bewildered Rajool - elected as a BMC corporator just six months ago - instantly declared her support to SS (UBT) and even joined a protest against her father’s decision. Both the youngsters confronting a peculiar family-cum-political divide put up brave faces and publicly claimed that they had “absolutely no inkling” of the political coup currently underway and are firmly with Thackeray. For the present, however, the SS (UBT) camp is somewhat relieved that the damage caused by the proposed exit of the 6 MPs has not percolated to their family members, affording it time to take some proactive measures to prevent a similar scenario in the coming times. SS (UBT) Deputy Leader dares MP’s son A skeptical SS (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare and others immediately pounced on Krishna Ashtikar, questioning the credibility of his words after his father and party MP from Hingoli Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar’s plans to switch sides. “Go and perform your father’s funeral rituals (pind-daan) immediately to prove your claims that you are different from your father…” a livid Andhare dared Krishna, who retorted by saying that he is “answerable only to the SS (UBT) supremo and none else”.

The Angry Young Man of Congress

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

The Angry Young Man of Congress

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole has hit the headlines yet again. Generally, whenever he is in headlines, he is angry and is mad at someone. The difference this time was that he angered Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut so much, so that Raut went mad at Nana asking the Congress leadership to keep Patole away from seat sharing talks.


However, this is not the first time that they both have locked horns. In 2021, the year when Patole was made the MPCC Chief by the party leadership, he had hit headlines by stating that his party shall contest the next elections on its own and shall have a Congress worker as a Chief Minister. Raut, who is also the Executive Editor of his party’s mouthpiece Saamna, had written an editorial saying that Patole was overconfident when he made the statement about the power of the Congress in the state.


Patole is accused of being authoritarian and several leaders in the state Congress have raised complained against him with the party high command over past four years. Yet, he enjoys the confidence of the party high command who haven’t moved him away from the post. Probably the reason for that Patole’s grass root connect and that he had been a staunch Congress loyalist though he spent a few years in the BJP and hit national headlines by speaking against PM Narendra Modi when none dared to do so.


Nana, who belongs to agrarian Kunbi community from Suki village of Sakoli taluka of Bhandara district, had a humble start in the Zilla Parishad in 1990 as a Congress member. After the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) his arch rival within the party, Praful Patel, went away making way for Nana’s ambition to become an MLA. After becoming MLA twice, in 1999 and 2004, Patole’s ambitions grew. However, he realised that he has little space in the state politics since the Congress and the NCP were in alliance and Patel was taking all the shots as far his home district was concerned. He then switched to BJP and got elected to the parliament in 2014. However, there too he realized that he stands little scope and he started criticising the top leadership of the party before quitting it in 2017.


Though he couldn’t keep his home turf in the bypolls, he won the assembly elections. He was made the Speaker of the assembly in 2019. He distasted the position and resigned from the post to join active politics in 2021, since when he is the MPCC president.


Under Patole’s leadership the party’s performance has been the best compared to past decade, and probably that is the reason why he appears to be the most favoured by the party high command. Even though differences with the Shiv Sena (UBT) over seat sharing are settled as of now, he is unlikely to dilute his stand and let anyone get bigger share of seats in Vidarbha, which is his best bet as of now.

Comments

bottom of page