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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 Political Weathercock

Weathercock

Ramdas Athawale is seeking five seats to contest the upcoming assembly election in the state and an assurance that his party shall get a Cabinet berth if the Mahayuti returns to power in the state after the assembly elections. However, the poet who is known to provide comic relief during serious yet mundane discussions in parliament seems to be unhappy as nobody appears to take him seriously.


Incidentally one of the youth leaders of the party has gone ahead to warn the bigger partners of the Mahayuti of serious consequences if they continue neglecting the smaller allies. This has led to speculations whether the political weathercock is really upset with the alliance?


Ramdas Athawale is union minister for last two terms and recently when he shared dais with Nitin Gadkari, he boasted that he shall be the union minister for the third consecutive term also. Gadkari jokingly taunted that he is not certain whether the NDA shall form government for the fourth consecutive term in the centre, but he is certain that Athawale shall remain a union minister. He also praised the political acumen of Athawale saying that he, like Ramvilas Paswan and Laluprasad Yadav can be called ‘political weathercock’. It is due to this tag, Athawale’s moves assume importance in the political circles.


Recently Dhangar leader Mahadev Jankar, who had once contested election against Sharad Pawar on the BJP backing, left the NDA and said that the chances are bleak that he shall return to the fold. Linking that to the recent Lok Sabha results, Athawale said that it would be wise to deal with the small unrest in smaller parties well in the time before it causes a big trouble later.


Athawale, an activist of Dalit Panther – an organisation founded by poet and activist Namdeo Dhasal that seeks to combat caste discrimination, rose to significance in the late 1970s, during a movement to rename Marathwada University after Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and soon transitioned from an activist to a politician. In 1990, he joined the cabinet in the Sharad Pawar-led state government, allying with the Congress (I). and also served as member of the state legislative council from 1990 to 1996.


He had won the 1999 and 2004 Lok Sabha polls from Pandharpur (later merged with the Solapur constituency), but lost the Shirdi Lok Sabha seat in 2009 to the Shiv Sena by more than a lakh votes and blamed the local Congress leadership forworking against him.


The next year he joined hands with Balasaheb Thackeray with call for coming together of the Bhim Shakti and Shiv Shakti. In 2012 he joined the NDA and in past 11 years when he has been a union minister, Athawale’s RPI has hardly grown. His latest ‘disappointment’ with the NDA needs to be looked at from this prism of his career, which unfolds a different spectrum before us.

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