cong-mns link exposed News Archive News

That the Congress-led coalition government in the state has been covertly encouraging the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena..

Written by Rakshit Sonawane

June 24, 2010 01:07 AM IST

3 min read

That the Congress-led coalition government in the state has been covertly encouraging the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to weaken the Shiv Sena is no secret. Even in the recent MLC elections,the MNS voted for the Congress-NCP candidates. While the Congress denied the link,the NCP acknowledged it. Much to the chagrin of the Congress,MNS chief Raj Thackeray himself declared that his party had supported the Congress as it wanted to get its four suspended MLAs reinstated. The exposure may hurt the poll prospects of the Congress in the ensuing Assembly polls in Bihar,where strong sentiments are believed to exist against the MNS for attacking North Indian migrants.

Cracks in saffron ties

With the Congress Party emerging stronger after the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections last year,the other major political players in the state are feeling the heat. Now there are cracks in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance,after the BJP tied up with the Congress to keep out the Shiv Sena in the standing committee chairmanship in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation. The development has culminated in infuriated Shiv Sainiks taking to the streets,becoming violent,and demanding that the saffron parties break ties at least in Aurangabad. Interestingly,it is the same alliance of Sena-BJP that was taking pride in over two decades of solidarity and poking fun at the Pune pattern of the Congress-NCP some years ago.

Bid to unite Sena parivar

Efforts by some former Shiv Sainiks to call for a ceasefire between Senas executive president Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray are yet to evoke any favourable response from either of the siblings. And the two Senas may not want to unite till the next civic polls in Mumbai due in 2012. But the unity move has attracted attention from some unexpected quarters. Deputy Chief Minister and NCPs OBC face Chhagan Bhujbal,who was in the Sena till 1991,has endorsed the bid to unite the Thackeray brothers. Another former Sainik Narayan Rane,who joined the Congress in 2005,has sided with Raj and slammed Uddhav for

persecuting Raj when the latter was in the Shiv Sena.

Rain kills manikrao plan

Bowing to the rising son brings rich dividends in politics and with Rahul Gandhi as the posterboy of the Congress to woo youth,politicians compete with each other for his attention at times,messing up things. PCC chief Manikrao Thakre,who got flak for low enrolment during the membership drive six months ago,mooted the idea of taking 3,000 college students to a hill station for three days to indoctrinate them in Congress philosophy,Gandhi family and provide information on career opportunities during the summer vacation. Rahul was to be the star speaker. The move annoyed Youth Congress leaders who felt sidelined. It resulted in change of venue from Mahabaleshwar to Khandala to Pune. The monsoon arrived and washed away the plans.

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Maharashtra Raj Thackeray