Keeping powder dryNearly 20 officebearers, including corporators, belonging to Ajit Pawarled NCP joining Sharad Pawar’s NCPSP is seen by many in Maharashtra politics as a curtain raiser before the real prepoll strike by the 83yearold never saydie Maratha Strongman. Sharad Pawar choosing PimpriChinchwad for triggering the first exodus is seen as deliberate as the area is widely seen among the strongest turf of Ajit Pawar. The upcoming strikes could see many senior leaders of Ajit Pawar’s party, including MLAs and some state ministers, crossing over. Given that Ajit Pawar is an acknowledged political acrobat, what he will plan for himself and where that will land BJP before polls is also being animatedly discussed.
Not Just ByelectionsAssembly byelections are not taken very seriously by any government that has a safe majority in the House. However, after BJP’s lackluster performance in UP in the recent Lok Sabha polls, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has made it a prestige issue to wrest all the 10 MLA seats going for bypolls. Some ministers and senior leaders given charge of the seats are spending a lot of time at ground zero. CM himself may campaign which is not the norm in bypolls.
Moment of ReliefAfter the election of BJP leader Kota Srinivas Poojary to Lok Sabha, Karnataka’s legislative council has been without the leader of Opposition. BJP leaders do not think the ‘indecision’ will end soon as it took six months to name an Opposition leader in the assembly last year. The ruling Congress, battling a slew of scams, of course is not complaining.