Mumbai Confidential: Brother trouble
Sticking With Shelar
With Ravindra Chavan taking over as Maharashtra BJP chief, the focus has shifted to the Mumbai unit especially ahead of the crucial BMC elections. Despite the party's 'one-man-one-post' principle, the BJP has decided to retain Ashish Shelar as both Mumbai unit chief and cabinet minister. The reason? Leadership doesn't want to risk handing the city over to controversial imports or gamble with a North Indian face at a time when the Marathi plank is gaining traction. Shelar, a seasoned Mumbaikar, had led the BJP to its best-ever BMC tally in 2017 with 82 seats, just two short of the then-undivided Shiv Sena.
Problems Aplenty
As newly appointed state BJP president Ravindra Chavan begins building his team, the party's internal arithmetic is turning tricky. While expanding the organisation may be good for optics and outreach, it is turning into a challenge with 10 contenders vying for every single post. Chavan now faces the tough task of balancing loyal insiders, recent entrants, and regional heavyweights while managing disappointed hopefuls. His ability to maintain harmony in this phase will be an early test of his leadership mettle.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘If Nishads don't get SC quota soon, BJP may face difficulties in 2027 polls': UP Minister
WHEN THE BJP can resolve all difficult issues – be it Article 370 or building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya – what is holding it back from providing Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation to the Nishad community, the ruling party's ally and Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad told The Indian Express. The state Fisheries Minister, who is also the NISHAD Party chief, said the BJP should fulfil the long-pending demand soon or it may face 'difficulties' in the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The Nishads, a boating and fishing community, are currently counted among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state. 'The thing is that the BJP has found solutions to all difficult issues, be it Article 370 or 10 per cent upper caste reservation (for the economically backward in general category) even when it was not promised in the Constitution, women reservation and even on the topic of faith i.e. construction of Ram Temple. So what is keeping it from fulfilling its promise to the fishermen community?' said Nishad. The minister said the BJP had promised SC reservation to Nishad sub-castes because of which he aligned with it but now it is becoming difficult for him to convince his community about the long delay despite being in the government. 'We are only part of the government, that is all. Actual decision-making lies with the BJP, which had come out with its separate vision for the Nishad community…,' he said. 'BJP yahi kehke layi thi, SP aur BSP ne galat kiya. Par jo Bhagwan ko paar utarne wale hain, weh apna hissa mang rahe hain. Hum jawab nahin de pa rahe hain (The BJP had brought us along saying that the SP and BSP did wrong. But now the community which helped Lord [Ram] is asking for its rights, and we are unable to answer them),' said Nishad, who has for long been raising the demand for SC reservation for 17 sub-castes of the community. The delay in giving SC quota to the Nishads, Sanjay Nishad said, had resulted in the shifting of votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the community fell for the 'false promises of the SP'. And if this continued, it would make things difficult for the BJP and allies in the next Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, he said. 'The Nishad community constitutes 18 per cent of Uttar Pradesh. They voted for us in 2019 on this promise. But in 2024, the INDIA bloc was able to take their votes with false promises and if this continues then the community would distance itself,' he said. 'BJP jaldi ise door kare nahi to 2027 mein mushkil ho sakta hai (The BJP should resolve this soon or there might be difficulties in 2027).' In the 2022 Assembly elections, the NISHAD party, in alliance with BJP, was able to win six Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh but failed to win a single seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Nishad community is primarily found in regions alongside rivers, especially in eastern and central Uttar Pradesh, including areas surrounding Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, and Varanasi, among others.
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis orders probe into Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat's hotel purchase
MUMBAI: In a big blow to Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry against Shinde-led Shiv Sena's minister Sanjay Shirsat and his son for buying a Rs 110-crore luxury hotel for just Rs 67 crore in Sambhaji Nagar. It was alleged that Shirsat and his son, Siddhant Shirsat, undervalued the VITS Hotel and bought it by rigging the tender process. The Opposition had raised the issue and demanded a probe. Fadnavis said that Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had already announced the cancellation of the tender process. The CM said, 'We will ensure that a new bid for this VITS Hotel auction is opened. However, to investigate any potential violations and irregularities in the tender process, we have decided to conduct a high-level probe to uncover the truth. Transparency has to be maintained in such a process.' Shiv Sena MLC and Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danave raised the matter in the Legislative Council. Danave alleged that the firm of the Sena minister's son, which bought the VITS Hotel, was not even registered and was therefore ineligible to participate in the bidding process. Still, it participated and won the bid, and illegally, he claimed Danave said it was revealed that the Sena minister's son used fraudulent documents to show his firm was eligible to enter the tender process. 'The government officials who are involved in this illegal deal have to be punished, and action should be taken against them. We want justice, and we expect CM Fadnavis to do justice,' he said. Sanjay Shirsat tried to defend himself and his son on the floor of the House, claiming that the allegations against both of them are baseless. He said that they had already announced their withdrawal from the deal.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Edappadi K Palaniswami kicks off AIADMK campaign for 2026 polls
COIMBATORE: AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday kick-started his campaign for the 2026 Assembly election from Coimbatore by challenging the DMK's main criticism of his party's alliance with the BJP. Pointing to the DMK's past alliances with the BJP (in 1999 and 2001), he asked how the national party was considered good when it suited the DMK and communal when AIADMK made an alliance with it and said the alliance was forged to defeat the enemy. Beginning his campaign — 'Let's Protect the People, Let's Save Tamil Nadu' — well ahead of his rivals after offering prayers at the Vanabadrakali Amman temple at Mettupalayam, he took part in a roadshow on the Mettupalayam to Ooty road. Then he addressed a public meeting alongside BJP state president Nainar Nagenthiran, Minister of State for Information Broadcasting L Murugan, and former AIADMK minister SP Velumani, at Mettupalayam bus stand. 'If you (DMK) make an alliance with the BJP, then it would be considered a good party. However, DMK is accusing the BJP of being a communal party after the AIADMK made an alliance. Except for this, CM MK Stalin could not level any other charge against the AIADMK-BJP-led alliance. DMK cadres were central ministers during the BJP-led central government for five years,' he said. 'Hereafter, Stalin cannot cheat the people of Tamil Nadu,' EPS said.
