special report Mamta Sen
URL : http://www.covert.co.in/mamta.htm
Sleeping CM ensures Congress collapse
in coming Maharashtra election
By Mamta Sen
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh might pat himself on the back for completing four years in office this month, but he will also have to take credit for hastening the collapse of the Congress in the state. Torn apart by factionalism, the Congress is unable to hold constructive political programmes to contain its cadres and woo voters. Load-shedding, farmers’ suicides, terrorist attacks, mass arrests of innocent Muslims and the rise of atrocities against Dalits are just some of the problems confronting the Congress. It is unable to tackle all this because of sheer inertia and incompetence at the top and infighting below.
The party also finds itself on the back foot on the “sons of the soil” issue raised by MNS chief Raj Thackeray and the Shiv Sena. Recently, the Congress convened a press interaction to counter this propaganda, but apart from MP Eknath Gaikwad, other senior leaders did not turn up. The list included Narayan Rane, Bahu Jagtap and Chandrakant Handore. MLA Ashok Bhau Jadhav said that he had not been told about the interaction: “I would have come if I had known. We are not taken into confidence when such programmes are organised. They could have made one phone call at least.”
Congressmen, on condition of anonymity, insist that many among them are supportive of Raj Thackeray’s position. But MPCC spokesperson Anant Gadgil disagrees. “A true Congressman can never differentiate among people. There is no such split within the party,” he said.
The links between the Congress and the MNS are well-established, and while it is officially critical of Raj Thackeray, the latter is a welcome invitee in Congress homes. Congress leader Kripashankar Singh invited both Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray to his residence for Ganapati darshan, sending out a wrong signal to the migrant voters of the party. When asked about this, Singh said he had invited the Thackerays because of his personal relations with them. “North Indian migrant workers should also forge personal relationships,” he said.
MPCC general secretary Madhu Chavan pointed out that the party is suffering because of its inability to enthuse the Dalit and Muslim voters. In the recent municipal corporation elections, Muslims are said to have favoured the MNS-BJP and the NCP over the Congress. The Dalits voted for Mayawati and allowed the BSP to open its account in the civic polls. “There is only one Muslim graduate legislator in the party who has defected from the Samajwadi Party. The Congress today does not have any capable Dalit leader from the younger generation,” say many Congressmen.
The NCP, however, is doing a more credible job in managing the communities and retaining its vote base. In what is generally recognised as a masterstroke, the NCP appointed advocate and party national general secretary Majeed Memon to oppose Raj Thackeray’s bail application. This immediately catapulted Memon and the NCP to star status among non-Maharashtrians. At the same time, NCP chief Sharad Pawar mooted a proposal for economic reservations to the tune of Rs 15,000 crores for the dominant Maratha community in the state. The Congress is still vacillating, but the Shiv Sena has come out and welcomed this move. In other words, the NCP has managed to address both the otherwise polarised communities.
The image of Vilasrao Deshmukh has taken a beating in Mumbai. He has also acquired the reputation of being a “voracious sleeper” and has been photographed sleeping at major public functions. Local television channels have telecast snapshots of the Chief Minister sleeping through meetings on terrorism and other important issues. His leadership is now under question, and the party appears to be running, as a Youth Congress leader said, “on remote control, except that no one really knows in whose hands the remote is”
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
No takers for Marathi play
Audience stays away from controversial play Aamhi Panchpute at Borivli theatre
The ‘bombed’ Marathi play, Aamhi Panchpute, opened to audiences at Borivli’s Prabodhankar Thackeray auditorium yesterday, amid tight security. Around 250 tickets were sold for the first show at 4.30 pm, which meant several empty seats in a theatre that has a capacity of 700. In fact, most of the seats were occupied by the Mumbai police, the bomb disposal squad and the press.The show began 20 minutes late. Usher Vinayak Kamat who had seen playwright Santosh Pawar’s earlier play Yada Kadachit at the same theatre, remarked that Aamhi... definitely appeared to be a sequel. Pawar’s satirical comedy is a pathetic attempt to boost his ticket sales (which hasn’t worked). Yet, Pawar should be applauded for tearing to bits political parties by naming them in the play and their numerous endeavours of taking on both North Indians as well as Maharashtrian voters for a ride.Producer Santosh Kanekar added, “The police had watched the play, but they have not approached us saying we were maligning a particular community,” he said. Ramdas Kadam one of the viewers who had come to see the play said that he came because he was curious about the story. “I think people should not see this play because it is in bad taste. Maharashtrians should stop giving any publicity to this mediocre stuff.”
URL: http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1167790&_EXT_5_groupId=14
The ‘bombed’ Marathi play, Aamhi Panchpute, opened to audiences at Borivli’s Prabodhankar Thackeray auditorium yesterday, amid tight security. Around 250 tickets were sold for the first show at 4.30 pm, which meant several empty seats in a theatre that has a capacity of 700. In fact, most of the seats were occupied by the Mumbai police, the bomb disposal squad and the press.The show began 20 minutes late. Usher Vinayak Kamat who had seen playwright Santosh Pawar’s earlier play Yada Kadachit at the same theatre, remarked that Aamhi... definitely appeared to be a sequel. Pawar’s satirical comedy is a pathetic attempt to boost his ticket sales (which hasn’t worked). Yet, Pawar should be applauded for tearing to bits political parties by naming them in the play and their numerous endeavours of taking on both North Indians as well as Maharashtrian voters for a ride.Producer Santosh Kanekar added, “The police had watched the play, but they have not approached us saying we were maligning a particular community,” he said. Ramdas Kadam one of the viewers who had come to see the play said that he came because he was curious about the story. “I think people should not see this play because it is in bad taste. Maharashtrians should stop giving any publicity to this mediocre stuff.”
URL: http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1167790&_EXT_5_groupId=14
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Punjab farmer's philanthrophy for Maharashtra
Jodi No... 177
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 26 Apr 2008
HERE’s one lesson Maharashtra’s well-to-do farmers should definitely take a cue from. Moved by the plight of poverty-stricken farmers who find it difficult to wed off their young daughters, farmer-turned-wrestler -turned-real-estate baron Kanwarjeet Singh Sandhu organised a mass wedding for couples in his hometown Nowshera, Punjab, on April 13. The elaborate wedding not only included the kanyadaan of each of the 177 brides (with personal household gifts like watches and cupboards), which Sandhu religiously performed, but the 57-year-old even invited several ministers from the ruling state government to bless the couples.He now wants to duplicate the same in Maharashtra, but says will do so post-October, after the huge celebrations of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh at the 300-year-old Sakchand Gurudwara in Nanded.“Since 7 is my lucky number, I shall wed 777 couples this time,” he says. The event, he believes, will act as a boost to rural Maharashtra, which is reeling under farmer suicides. “The rich have to eventually take care of the poor, only then can a society and a nation progress,” he concludes.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Bihar is Better
State Assembly Speaker adjourns house 13 times
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 04 Apr 2008
As only 29 members out of 288 were present
When Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam declares that the Bihar Assembly is better than Maharashtra’s, it is time to do a little soul-searching.Consider this: In this session, that began on March 10, except for the Rajya Sabha and Council elections, not more than 50 percent MLAs were present on any day.The Speaker had to adjourn the House 13 times as not even 29 members from the 288 were present. Unprecedented, specially in a Budget session, the most important of the three every year.In the last five years, the legislative Houses have not met for even 50 days when directives state that the sessions must have at least 100 working days.As if this was not enough, those present at the House did not engage in a quality debate and six legislators were suspended after they allegedly threw books at legislative officers and damaged furniture. All this, at the cost of public money.Single point agenda: RaneOver Rs 58 crore was earmarked for this year’s Budget session, with each hour at the Vidhan Bhavan costing the public exchequer over Rs 4 lakh. “Each question asked at the Vidhan Bhavan costs us Rs 65000,” said Anil Mhatre, co-director of Samarthan, an NGO that’s working on state legislative issues.BackseatMhatre said that the chaos is more over trivial issues. “Important questions revolving around betterment of crores of people in the state have taken a backseat,” he says. This session alone there have been adjournments almost every day as the MLAs brought the House down over some issue. Revenue Minister Narayan Rane has been the most prominent target for the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party Opposition, who have gone after the rebel Sena leader who joined the Congress in 2005. The House was adjourned thrice this week alone after Opposition members kept pressing for inquiries into decisions taken by Rane.No business“They have no other business. I’m their single point agenda,” said Rane. It is in the interest of the members to attend the session as they receive Rs 500 per day for their presence. However, the MLAs prefer to stay out as legislators from both sides often prefer to get their work done outside the House, by meeting the minister and sanctioning development projects in their constituency.The ongoing session is scheduled to be over by April 25. However, there are indications that it will not go on beyond April 11.
Every MLA gets...
Daily allowance: Rs 500 per day, per session
Salary: Rs 2,000 pm
Vehicle allowance: Rs 25,000 pm
Telephone: Rs 8,000 pm
Computer facilities: Laptop/desktop with printer
Personal assistant: Rs 7,000 pm remuneration
Vehicle interest: 8 % of loan amount reimbursed on any new car upto Rs 10 lakh
Local fund development fund: Rs one crore per year
Rail travel: Free rail travel with one companion by 1st class or A/c 2 -tier class within the state and upto 5,000 km outside state.
Road travel: Unlimited free travel with one companion on all types of buses of state road transport.
Voices
Nawab Malik (NCP)
The personal rivalry between the Sena and Rane is disturbing the proceedings of the House. Instead of conducting a healthy debate, that aims to serve crores in the state, the opposition is making use of this platform to settle personal scores.
P U Mehta (Congress)
The opposition has been finding some excuse or the other to delay the workings of the House. Publicity is the main agenda of MLAs today and unfortunately they are achieving this through their behaviour instead of showing any concrete work.
Neelam Gore (Shiv Sena)
The opinion of members in Congress is hardly taken into account as the party is limping on the Central leadership, while the NCP has nothing to its credit. All this eventually leads to unrest and gets reflected in the Assembly sessions.
Mangal Lodha (BJP)
The Assembly is a very important system of democracy. The ruling party doesn’t not have any sensitivity towards the issues raised by us. We are ready to cooperate, but the ruling government should also decide what kind reputation they want.
Assembly Session
Year: 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Days worked: 46 33 41 29 44 47
Url: http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1073311&_EXT_5_groupId=14
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 04 Apr 2008
As only 29 members out of 288 were present
When Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam declares that the Bihar Assembly is better than Maharashtra’s, it is time to do a little soul-searching.Consider this: In this session, that began on March 10, except for the Rajya Sabha and Council elections, not more than 50 percent MLAs were present on any day.The Speaker had to adjourn the House 13 times as not even 29 members from the 288 were present. Unprecedented, specially in a Budget session, the most important of the three every year.In the last five years, the legislative Houses have not met for even 50 days when directives state that the sessions must have at least 100 working days.As if this was not enough, those present at the House did not engage in a quality debate and six legislators were suspended after they allegedly threw books at legislative officers and damaged furniture. All this, at the cost of public money.Single point agenda: RaneOver Rs 58 crore was earmarked for this year’s Budget session, with each hour at the Vidhan Bhavan costing the public exchequer over Rs 4 lakh. “Each question asked at the Vidhan Bhavan costs us Rs 65000,” said Anil Mhatre, co-director of Samarthan, an NGO that’s working on state legislative issues.BackseatMhatre said that the chaos is more over trivial issues. “Important questions revolving around betterment of crores of people in the state have taken a backseat,” he says. This session alone there have been adjournments almost every day as the MLAs brought the House down over some issue. Revenue Minister Narayan Rane has been the most prominent target for the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party Opposition, who have gone after the rebel Sena leader who joined the Congress in 2005. The House was adjourned thrice this week alone after Opposition members kept pressing for inquiries into decisions taken by Rane.No business“They have no other business. I’m their single point agenda,” said Rane. It is in the interest of the members to attend the session as they receive Rs 500 per day for their presence. However, the MLAs prefer to stay out as legislators from both sides often prefer to get their work done outside the House, by meeting the minister and sanctioning development projects in their constituency.The ongoing session is scheduled to be over by April 25. However, there are indications that it will not go on beyond April 11.
Every MLA gets...
Daily allowance: Rs 500 per day, per session
Salary: Rs 2,000 pm
Vehicle allowance: Rs 25,000 pm
Telephone: Rs 8,000 pm
Computer facilities: Laptop/desktop with printer
Personal assistant: Rs 7,000 pm remuneration
Vehicle interest: 8 % of loan amount reimbursed on any new car upto Rs 10 lakh
Local fund development fund: Rs one crore per year
Rail travel: Free rail travel with one companion by 1st class or A/c 2 -tier class within the state and upto 5,000 km outside state.
Road travel: Unlimited free travel with one companion on all types of buses of state road transport.
Voices
Nawab Malik (NCP)
The personal rivalry between the Sena and Rane is disturbing the proceedings of the House. Instead of conducting a healthy debate, that aims to serve crores in the state, the opposition is making use of this platform to settle personal scores.
P U Mehta (Congress)
The opposition has been finding some excuse or the other to delay the workings of the House. Publicity is the main agenda of MLAs today and unfortunately they are achieving this through their behaviour instead of showing any concrete work.
Neelam Gore (Shiv Sena)
The opinion of members in Congress is hardly taken into account as the party is limping on the Central leadership, while the NCP has nothing to its credit. All this eventually leads to unrest and gets reflected in the Assembly sessions.
Mangal Lodha (BJP)
The Assembly is a very important system of democracy. The ruling party doesn’t not have any sensitivity towards the issues raised by us. We are ready to cooperate, but the ruling government should also decide what kind reputation they want.
Assembly Session
Year: 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Days worked: 46 33 41 29 44 47
Url: http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1073311&_EXT_5_groupId=14
Gopinath Munde
Munde’s move won’t affect BJP
RSS believes Gopinath Munde's resignation will not harm the Sangh
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 22 Apr 2008
URL: http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1098378&_EXT_5_groupId=14
For the RSS, Gopinath Munde’s resignation is one of those things that’ll pass. The Sangh believes this move will do little damage to the BJP. “Such rebellions are common in state politics. The BJP is an independent party with able leadership and they can make their own decisions regarding Munde,” said RSS joint secretary Ravi Pawar. Insiders inform that RSS top bosses will intervene only when necessary. “There’s no doubt that Munde has worked hard for the party, but several other leaders have done the same too. Munde has behaved like a measly politician who is more concerned about his own welfare than that of the party,” said a senior RSS worker.
MLA support
Meanwhile, Munde’s supporters told MiD DAY that he has been having meetings with BJP MLAs, with several pledging their support. The party high command is a little surprised with Munde’s rebellion, as he was involved in the exercise of appointing Madhu Chavan as president of BJP’s city unit. “Chavan’s name was approved by the three-member committee after it consulted all state leaders, including Munde,” said a party insider.
RSS believes Gopinath Munde's resignation will not harm the Sangh
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 22 Apr 2008
URL: http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1098378&_EXT_5_groupId=14
For the RSS, Gopinath Munde’s resignation is one of those things that’ll pass. The Sangh believes this move will do little damage to the BJP. “Such rebellions are common in state politics. The BJP is an independent party with able leadership and they can make their own decisions regarding Munde,” said RSS joint secretary Ravi Pawar. Insiders inform that RSS top bosses will intervene only when necessary. “There’s no doubt that Munde has worked hard for the party, but several other leaders have done the same too. Munde has behaved like a measly politician who is more concerned about his own welfare than that of the party,” said a senior RSS worker.
MLA support
Meanwhile, Munde’s supporters told MiD DAY that he has been having meetings with BJP MLAs, with several pledging their support. The party high command is a little surprised with Munde’s rebellion, as he was involved in the exercise of appointing Madhu Chavan as president of BJP’s city unit. “Chavan’s name was approved by the three-member committee after it consulted all state leaders, including Munde,” said a party insider.
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