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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

From Tears to Tussle

Inside the ruthless succession war for the soul of the NCP Mumbai: In a significant revelation that sheds light on the internal fractures of Maharashtra’s most prominent political dynasty, a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader has disclosed that a merger between the two rival factions was nearly finalised following the tragic death of Ajit Pawar, only to be derailed by a bitter battle for leadership. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the leader revealed that while the state...

From Tears to Tussle

Inside the ruthless succession war for the soul of the NCP Mumbai: In a significant revelation that sheds light on the internal fractures of Maharashtra’s most prominent political dynasty, a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader has disclosed that a merger between the two rival factions was nearly finalised following the tragic death of Ajit Pawar, only to be derailed by a bitter battle for leadership. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the leader revealed that while the state mourned the loss of the Deputy Chief Minister in a plane crash two months ago, a high-stakes power struggle was unfolding behind the scenes, ultimately leading to the “hasty” swearing-in of Sunetra Pawar as his successor. The senior leader’s comments come at a time when the Pawar family and NCP workers have been sharing deeply emotional tributes to mark two months since the January 28 disaster. However, beneath the public display of grief lies a complex story of shifting allegiances. According to the leader, the period immediately following the crash was “extremely fluid”. At the time, Ajit Pawar’s sudden absence had created a vacuum that many believed would naturally be filled by the senior leadership of the NCP-SP faction, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule. “Indeed, there were talks of a merger, and Dada (Ajit Pawar) himself had been involved in those negotiations before the accident,” the leader remarked. However, the dynamics changed rapidly when the Ajit Pawar faction realized that their identity and future could be swallowed whole if they did not act quickly to secure their own leadership. This realization reportedly led to the decision to install Sunetra Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister just three days after the tragedy. Immediate Stability The move was intended to provide immediate stability and ensure that the leadership remained within Ajit Pawar’s immediate family. A particularly poignant detail revealed by the senior leader was the absence of the Sharad Pawar family at Sunetra Pawar’s swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhavan on January 31. Despite the best efforts of Ajit’s elder son, Parth Pawar, who was reportedly seen “pursuing and trying to convince” his relatives to attend as a show of family unity, Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, and Rohit Pawar remained conspicuous by their absence. “That was very unfortunate and came as a shock to many of us who have spent decades with the family,” the leader stated, adding that this absence signaled the end of the brief window for an easy merger. This political friction stands in stark contrast to the heart-wrenching scenes witnessed during the last rites in Baramati. At the funeral, Supriya Sule was seen breaking down in uncontrollable tears, holding Sunetra Pawar’s hand in a display of what many thought was a permanent reconciliation. Rohit Pawar had also shared a viral social media post expressing his inability to even use the prefix “late” for his uncle, stating that he lacked the courage to see Ajit Pawar’s name written that way and that “Dada” would always live on through his work. However, as the senior leader noted, the narrative shifted dramatically once the Sharad Pawar faction realized that the leadership of the NCP would not be handed to them on a platter. What began as talk of family unity and political merger soon pivoted to a darker narrative. Rohit Pawar recently filed a “Zero FIR” in Bengaluru, alleging a “larger criminal conspiracy” behind the plane crash, citing technical lapses and suspicious flight data. This move is seen by many in the NCP as a strategic shift to delegitimize the current leadership and keep the pressure on the Mahayuti government. Undisputed Leader For now, the senior leader remains firm: Sunetra Pawar is the undisputed leader of the NCP, and any future talks of a merger must be conducted on her terms. “If anyone seeks a merger now, they will have to talk to her. She is our leader, and she will take the final call,” the leader concluded, indicating that while the doors for dialogue are not entirely closed, the “natural” transition the other faction expected has been firmly blocked by the rise of Maharashtra’s first woman Deputy Chief Minister. Moving tribute to Ajit Pawar On Saturday, marking exactly two months since the tragic passing of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, his family members shared moving tributes reflecting on his legacy and the void left by his absence. Sunetra Pawar, who recently stepped into the role of Deputy Chief Minister to carry forward her husband’s work, shared a deeply emotional message on social media. She expressed that while two months have passed, the pain of the loss remains as fresh as the day of the accident. Describing Ajit Pawar as her constant “guiding beacon,” she noted that the passage of time has not diminished his presence in her thoughts. She reaffirmed her solemn commitment to fulfilling his unfulfilled dreams for the development of Maharashtra, particularly for farmers and the youth, while drawing strength from his disciplined and dedicated style of functioning to navigate her new responsibilities. NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule paid tribute to her “Dada” by emphasising the need for truth and justice. In her reflections, she described him as a pillar of the family whose sudden departure has left everyone devastated. Beyond the personal grief, she utilized the occasion to raise significant concerns in Parliament regarding the transparency of the ongoing investigation into the Baramati plane crash. She asserted that the most fitting tribute to a leader of his stature would be a time-bound and thorough inquiry into the circumstances of the accident. Her tribute balanced the sorrow of a sister with a firm demand for accountability to ensure such a tragedy never recurs. Rohit Pawar’s tribute was characterised by a mix of profound grief and a fierce determination to seek answers. He recalled the personal guidance he received from his uncle, reminiscing about small yet significant moments and the weight of his “authoritative voice” that once commanded the state’s administration. On this two-month mark, he remained vocal about his suspicions surrounding the technical safety of the aircraft, describing the loss as an “irreparable blow” to the state’s political landscape. He vowed to keep his uncle’s memory alive not just through words, but by relentlessly pursuing the “Zero FIR” investigation to ensure that the facts behind the crash are brought to light.

Why is Mamata Seeing Ghost of Bangladesh?

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Why is Mamata Seeing Ghost of Bangladesh?

Mamata is seeing a ghost of Bangladesh behind the massive outrage and waves of protest over rape and murder of the trainee doctor. And the reasons are many.

It’s been over a fortnight. Yet with each passing day the voice of protest is getting louder and stronger. From the streets of Kolkata it’s pouring into roads of hinterland. The cry for justice for a rape victim has consolidated into a wail of demands to set a lot of wrongdoings right. Here in lies the fear and trepidation. Wasn’t the issue that brought the youth of Bangladesh out on the thoroughfares a simple, innocent one of quota reform?

The chief minister of Bengal, known for understanding the pulse of people better than many, was quick to read the signages floating in the political horizon.

The most obvious reason for her to be tensed is that both the regime change in Bangladesh and the mass protest in Bengal, were student-driven to begin with. The two incidents---end of 15 year old Sheikh Hasina government and turbulence in West Bengal, over the heinous crime, falling back to back, the first on August 5th and the latter from August 9th onwards, give natural scope for comparisons. More so, because in both the cases the movement strayed beyond an affected constituency to include aggrieved people at large, cutting across socio-economic demography. If the quota reform protest started by students in Bangladesh became a mass uprising against an autocratic regime, the campaign demanding justice for the rape victim and overall safety and security of women in Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal soon snowballed into a movement of no-confidence against the government. Slogans--”Mamata must resign” also got floated in social media much in line with the call for ouster of Sheikh Hasina. In fact “Resignation of Hasina” became the single point agenda into which all other fringe demands coalesced.

Incidentally, even before people started drawing parallels, that there could be a thread of commonality in the way the upheaval in Bangladesh and Bengal played out, Mamata was quick to point out that the Opposition were trying to pull off a Bangladesh by politicizing the tragic incident: “A coordinated approach has been executed by the BJP and the CPIM with support from the Centre to defame Bengal and exploit the situation....They want to make a Bangladesh here. They are taking cues from student unrest in Bangladesh and are attempting to capture similarly. I have no longing for the chair. I came here to serve people.”

Not only Mamata, her political lieutenants are consistently equating the turmoil in Bengal with the mayhem in Bangladesh. Cabinet minister for North Bengal development Udayan Guha threatened to take stern action against those, who would be trying to exploit the situation by emulating a Bangladesh like movement. “ Even after the hospital was vandalised, the police did not open fire on anyone. The police will not allow a Bangladesh type situation. We will not allow Bengal to turn into Bangladesh, Guha thundered.

Is the government’s fear unfounded?

Apart from the similarities on ground zero, as to how and where the future course of events are heading to, there are ample reasons for Bengal to mull on-- as to what led to a Bangladesh like boiling point. To begin with, it’ll be appropriate to talk of Bangladesh and the prevailing situation, that made the students’ protest become big in magnitude. The students were out on the streets because of a high reservation in public jobs. Unemployment and stagnant job market in private sector coupled with a high rate of inflation drove the educated youth to rebel against the government.

But soon the students found enormous number of sympathisers, who were equally at the receiving end. According to Bangladesh citizens, the last two terms of the Sheikh Hasina government were a mockery of democracy. Even elections would be compromised. As Hasina grew from strength to strength, she politicized institutions. The rank and file of police owed allegiance to the ruling dispensation. Extortion, harrassment and raids by police and people in power became rampant. An atmosphere of fear and repression reigned and people got restless to overthrow the government.

Politicization of institutions has been happening in Mamata government too. Allegations are quite strong that police in Bengal functions at the beck and call of political bosses. The lapses and alleged loopholes on the part of police in handling the rape and murder of the young doctor have yet again revealed a sense of confused or misplaced loyalty.

But above everything else both Hasina and Mamata governments allegedly seem to have twined in accepting corruption as a way of life. In Bangladesh jobs of primary and secondary teachers got sold at premium, Rs 10-12 lakh in the Hasina regime. Even police had to pay up for prized postings and transfers. In Bengal busting of the teacher’s recruitment scam has revealed how unsuccessful and ineligible candidates got government jobs in schools in exchange of bribes.

Similarities are multiple and inescapable. Mamata has good reasons to be apprehensive. It’s not only she, who can see and connect the dots. People, out on the streets, clamoring for justice, can see a providential pattern somewhere in the unfolding of future events in these two places-- Bangladesh and Bengal. True, they share more than 2,217 odd km of border. They share the same umbilical cord, other than language, culture, ethos, icons. Even emotions are the same. So she cannot take any risk.

(The writer is a senior jounalist based in Kolkata. Views personal)

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