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Letters to the Editor: 1 December, 2019

December 1, 2019

Dream comes true for Uddhav Thackeray

It was a dream come true for Uddhav Thackeray as he took oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Ace wildlife photographer and a reluctant politician, Uddhav’s journey in politics have been dramatic and memorable. Raj Thackeray was the natural choice for Bal Thackeray’s legacy but Uddhav was destined to make it big in the world of politics and here he is in the hot seat in Maharashtra Assembly and also the first Thackeray to hold an ministerial post.

Uddhav’s son Aaditya also became the first Thackeray to enter electoral politics and he too made a winning debut from Worli constituency. Uddhav’s entry into Mantralaya may have been controversial but let us hope the unholy alliance of Sena-NCP-Congress is able to fulfill the promises they have made to the people. BJP, I am sure would be waiting at the sidelines to pounce on the first available opportunity to dismantle the ruling alliance and Maharashtra politics would be interesting and ‘lively’ from here on.

S.N.Kabra

Take stringent action against rapist

System has not improved even after infamous 16-12 Nirbhaya rape-cum-murder of Delhi with country witnessing again similar episode now in Hyderabad on November 28 of a young lady doctor Priyanka Reddy whose scooter was reportedly punctured to aim the victim for rape-cum-murder by a group of persons. Self-termed human-right activists avoided having candle-march in New Delhi for obvious reasons. Telangana minister deserves to be condemned for his statement blaming the victim for not calling police.

Bitter fact is very weak system of the country where convicted persons of Nirbhaya-episode were reminded about filing last date of mercy-petition to further delay death-sentence awarded to them after time-consuming long court-battle. Such faulty system assisting convicts in every possible manner is responsible for such increased crimes.

Since main culprit and his associates have been arrested for recent Hyderabad incident, system should be refined immediately so as to finish formality of court-battle at every stage on day-to-day basis to be completed in a time-bound period to ensure final hanging till death say within three years of crime to be gradually reduced to one year. It may be made compulsory to grant mercy only on consent by family-members of the victim.

Madhu Agrawal

Pawar’s power play

The Maharashtra high voltage drama has for the time being come to an end. The allied triumvirate of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress has finally got the helm of the state. The political thriller had the public and the media at the edge of the seat all these days with a numerous spine chilling scenes with heavy dose of suspense, excitement and melodrama and above all a big cast of leaders whose enactment made each day right from the day of the election results to the oath taking ceremony a must watch event. In this unforgettable drama the one who has overshadowed all the rest is definitely Sharad Pawar, whose astute power play, his years of experience and sharp wit has once again proved what a powerful politician he is. It seems as if the “Chanakyas” of the BJP -the Modi-Shah duo – has been eclipsed (for now) in the glow of the Maratha power politician whose brilliant and wily moves bore fruitful for the birth of a triumvirate – completely different in ideologies but united for achieving power. The Shiv Sena is now on a piggy back ride and any mistake or faulty move from their side can result in a topple which once again will give ample chance for the NCP to play things according to their way and carve a niche in the national political arena, thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the Congress party. The drama is not going to end here as the BJP though at present seems to have moved out of the scene ,is sure to return with double force and that too with all sorts of political craftiness and calculation. Until then let us hope that the newly formed government come out with people friendly deeds and work hard for the common man.

M Pradyu

Provide basic amenities to jawans

There is no arrangement of drinking water for Jawans even after making multiple requests to Civil Authorities. Since two toilets were not sufficient for CRPF jawans, civil police built one toilet block by using bamboo and black polythene. The government should provide basic amenities to jawans.

Arif Mahfooz

Good initiative by Bengaluru Traffic Police

The understaffed and overworked Bengaluru Traffic Police have come up with yet another novel initiative to get motorists to follow traffic rules and observe lane discipline. They have installed as many as 200 life-sized mannequins at troublesome junctions in Bengaluru. The hope is that the mannequins, dressed as traffic police, will deter repeat offenders. The idea is along the lines of farmers using scarecrows to discourage birds from destroying their crops.

Niyaz Qasmi

Questionable encounter by UP police

Alleged clerical error in an FIR has turned an encounter case on its head in Meerut’s Teharki village. On October 17, Sheman Khan, 20, was shot by the U.P. police in an alleged encounter at Kankar Khera area. Khan was shot at during an “encounter” and a stolen mobile phone, a sports bike, a country-made pistol and cartridges were recovered from him. It is regretful that UP police destroyed a person’s life by misusing khaki uniform.

M.H. Magdi

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

After BJP candidate’s withdrawal, Nana Patole elected as Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly

Hema Singh

December 1, 2019

Congress leader Nana Patole on Sunday has been elected as a Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kisan Kathore withdrew his nomination on the same day. The Pro-tem speaker Dilip Walse Patil made the announcement that Patole is elected as the Speaker of Maharashtra assembly.

Reportedly, on Saturday the Congress party announced Patole as the candidate of the ruling party Maha Vikas Aghadi for the election to state Assembly Speaker’s post. The deadline to withdraw the nomination was 10 am on Sunday.

After the announcement, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, “I am happy that the son of a farmer has occupied this post. “

Congress MLA Patole represents Sakoli Assembly segment in Vidarbha, on the other hand, Kathore of BJP is from Murbad in Thane district. Coincidentally this is the fourth term as an MLA for both.

The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government on Saturday has passed the floor test in the state assembly. Altogether 169 MLAs voted in favour of the motion of confidence after the BJP, which has 105 MLAs, staged a walkout from the assembly.

The #MahaVikasAghadi candidate & #Congress leader @NANA_PATOLE has been elected as #Maharashtra Assembly Speaker. pic.twitter.com/9rtEfsI6ie

— Afternoon Voice (@Afternoon_Voice) December 1, 2019

Justice to rape victims is rare possibility in India

Vaidehi Taman

November 29, 2019

In a spine chilling incidence in Hyderabad a 27-year-old government veterinary doctor, who was returning to her residence at Shamshabad from Gachibowli, was murdered and her body was set ablaze by assailants at an underpass. Police suspect the victim may have been raped before she was murdered. Late in the night, police picked up two suspects a lorry driver and a cleaner, both from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh for questioning. Around 6 am on Thursday morning, milk vendor S Sathyam found a body burning underneath an underpass of a flyover. He immediately called village elders, who informed local police.

After confirming that it was a murder, Cyberabad police verified recent missing complaints. The Shamshabad police had received a complaint of a veterinary doctor missing. When her family reached the spot where the fully

Charred body was found; they established its identity based on a scarf and a Ganesha locket around the victim’s neck. The victim’s bike was found at Kothur, while her mobile phone and purse were missing. Vehicle’s number plates were also missing. Police believe the accused that drove her bike all the way to Kothur, about 30 km away from the toll plaza, might have removed them before abandoning it. On Wednesday around 5.30 pm, she left her residence on a two-wheeler for consulting a dermatologist at a private hospital in Gachibowli for a skin problem.

She parked her vehicle at Tondupally toll plaza at Outer Ring Road in Shamshabad. From there, she took a shared cab to reach Gachibowli and met the skin specialist at the hospital. A couple of hours later, she returned from Gachibowli and reached the toll plaza in a cab to take her bike, which was captured by CCTVs at the plaza. However, two men approached her, claiming her bike had a flat tyre. They offered to get it repaired. The duo took the bike and returned after some time claiming that the nearby tyre repair shop was closed and they would help her by taking it to another shop. She walked for a few meters and waited for the duo at an isolated place where spine-chilling incidence happened in Hyderabad, and a veterinary doctor murdered in broad daylight. When the younger sister tried reaching the victim at 9.44 pm, her mobile phone was found switched off. Later, the disturbed family approached Shamshabad police, who registered a missing case.

In recent years, varieties of rapes have taken place rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. India has been characterised as one of the “countries with the lowest per capita rates of rape. Many rapes go unreported in various countries including India. On January 17, 2018, Asifa, an 8-year old minor girl, was raped and murdered in Rasana village near Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. This incident made national news when charges were filed against eight men in April 2018. The arrests of the accused led to protests from groups, one of which was attended by two ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party, both of who have now resigned. The rape and murder, as well as the support the accused received, sparked widespread outrage.

The Unnao rape case saw an allegation that lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar had raped a 17-year old girl in 2017. In 2018, the alleged victim’s father was jailed under the Arms Act, and died in prison after being allegedly beaten up by Sengar’s brother and several others. Also in 2018, a witness to the alleged assault, Yunus, died and was immediately buried by his family with no autopsy and no communication to police or investigators. Yunus’ wife and family said Yunus had been ill and died a natural death. The uncle of the alleged victim was arrested and jailed in 2018 due to an 18-year-old gun-firing case. In 2019, a truck with blackened license plates hit the car in which the alleged victim and others were riding in. As a result, the victim’s paternal and maternal aunts were killed. The alleged victim and her lawyer were critically injured. The police officers assigned to provide security for the alleged victim were not present, with the explanation that there was no space in the car in which the alleged victim was travelling. There have been allegations of rape and mass rape in Jammu and Kashmir. Reports have shown that both Indian armed forces and Islamist militant groups have carried out rape. The rapes by Islamic militants have been reported since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. On 22 October 1947, Pashtun militants invaded Baramulla in a Pakistan army truck, and raped women including European nuns. In March 1990, Mrs. M. N. Paul, the wife of a BSF inspector was kidnapped, tortured and gang-raped for many days. Then her body with broken limbs was abandoned on a road. Let it be Miss Reddy’s rape case or Asifa of Unnao, brutality is unlimited. Every corner, every hour one woman gets raped and girls get molested. Indian constitution has stringent laws against rape but the lengthy judicial procedures fail to create deterrence, that is the reason justice to rape victims is rare possibility in India.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Indian Economy is in trouble

Afternoon Voice

November 29, 2019

The bad news is getting worse for the economy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is exhausting all options to stem the fallout. Having left much of the stimulus burden to the central bank early this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now taking bolder steps to reverse the decline. In recent months, the government has slashed corporate taxes, set up a special real-estate fund, merged banks and announced the biggest privatization drive in more than a decade. While authorities are committed to doing more, the policy room may be narrowing.

Taimur Baig, chief economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. in Singapore said “Domestic demand is displaying lingering dimness, with an apparent credit.

Crunch afflicting wide swaths of the economy, production and sales are under pressure, and public spending is running out of room due to poor tax collection.”

Gross domestic product grew 4.5 per cent in the July-September period from a year ago, according to the median estimate of 41 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. That would be the slowest pace since the March quarter of 2013.

India was the world’s fastest-growing economy until last year, posting quarterly growth rates of as high of 9.4 per cent in 2016. A crisis among shadow banks — a key source of funding for small businesses and consumers — weak rural spending and a global slowdown have since conspired to bring down growth steadily.

Indranil Pan, chief economist at IDFC First Bank Ltd. in Mumbai said “The nature of the slowdown is broad-based, with consumption as well as investment oriented sectors feeling the pain. Continuing poor domestic sentiment along with the lack of any demand uptake globally would ensure that any recovery process would only be gradual.”

The Reserve Bank of India has already cut interest rates by 135 basis points this year to the lowest since 2009, with more easing to come. The central bank is expected to look through the recent breach of its 4 per cent medium-term inflation target and deliver another rate check next two months will be crucial for the Indian economy, which is facing the worst growth slowdown in six years, as per official GDP data released on August 30.

State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Rajnish Kumar told several business dailies that the next two months will be critical in terms of reviving the economy.

While growth for the April-June quarter slumped to a low of 5 per cent on weak consumer demand, Kumar hopes that demand will pick up once the festive season kicks in. He, too, like many other economists feels that strong policy reforms are needed to tackle the slowdown, which seems to be a mix of structural and cyclical factors.

Sagar Mishra a banker from Mumbai said, “Economy is in serious trouble but people’s attention is diverted as Modi ended article 370, won Ram Mandir case, criminalized triple talaq. What more do we want? People have turned blind, one day they will realise what they are supporting.”

Devendra Pant, chief economist of India Ratings and Research said, “The onus is on the government to do the heavy lifting, I expect the government will miss this year’s fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent of GDP as it boosts spending while tax revenue falters. The weak growth outlook and interest-rate cuts are weighing on the rupee, the worst performing currency in emerging Asia this quarter.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this week she’s not closing the door on additional steps to support the economy. She posted several times about the economy on Twitter, saying macroeconomic fundamentals are strong.

There is growing clamor for more tax cuts, this time for individuals and on equities. Indian stocks touched a record high this week as investors pumped in money on speculation of more stimulus measures.

“It’s a deep cyclical slowdown that the economy has gone into,” Chetan Ahya, chief economist at Morgan Stanley, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. The economy has been hit by several shocks in recent years — from the taper tantrum in 2013 to demonetization in 2016 and this year’s trade war — making a strong rebound difficult, he said.

“As the global recovery comes through, India’s economy will be on the map finally,” he said.

Pragya’s controversial remark on Nathuram Godse

Vinod Dixit

November 29, 2019

It is a good decision that the BJP has barred Pragya Thakur from attending its parliamentary party meeting in the ongoing Parliament session and removed her from the consultative committee on defence.

Even during a road show in Madhya Pradesh, Pragya had said, that “Nathuram Godseji deshbhakt the, hai, aur rahenge, unko aatankwadi kahne wale log swayam ki gireban me jhaank kar dekhe chunav mein aise logon ko jawab de diya jayega” (Nathuram Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will remain a patriot those who call him a terrorist should look within they will get a reply in this election). Pragya’s comments allegedly praising Godse stirred controversy as politicians across party lines condemned it. Her statement in the Parliament is really condemnable and the BJP never supports such statements or ideology.

Pragya Singh Thakur’s praise of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by Nathuram Godse has left the BJP squirming, more so because both PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah have justified the decision to field her in the Lok Sabha polls despite the terror charges against her. This is not the first time the BJP has had to tone down Thakur’s comments since they announced her as a candidate. On the Babri Masjid demolition, Thakur had said that she was “proud” of her participation in the demolition at Ayodhya in 1992. The Election Commission had “strongly condemned” her remarks and barred her from campaigning for 72 hours last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had “cursed” him for torturing her. She had apologised for the controversial remark later and also retracted that statement. In the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast that claimed six lives and injured over a 100, she had made controversial statements and then apologised following a barrage of criticism from her own party as well as the opposition. PM Modi also said that he would never be able to forgive Thakur for her comments.

Incidentally, she made the remarks about Godse at a time when Modi had just launched the Swachh Bharat Mission, exhorting people to fulfil the Mahatma’s dream of a clean and hygienic India. PM Modi has rightly said that he will never forgive BJP candidate Pragya for insulting Mahatma Gandhi by calling his assassin Nathuram Godse a true patriot.
The remarks made about Gandhiji whose nonviolent ideals and leadership of the Indian Independence movement had gained him hundreds of thousands of devoted followers or Nathuram Godse a Hindu extremist. Nathuram Godse, the man who killed Gandhi, remains a controversial figure in India to this day are really shocking and very wrong for society.

It is to be remembered that in the year 1940, Udham Singh had assassinated former Punjab Lieutenant Governor Michael O’Dwyer, who had supported Colonel Reginald Dyer’s decision to fire on unarmed protestors in Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. Singh was tried and executed by the British.

Gandhi and Godse represented two contrasting ideas of politics and religion. Godse saw Gandhi as the father of the nation who was effeminate in nature and failed to protect the country with his non-violent approach. He joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and left it after finding it not militant enough. He then joined the Hindu Mahasabha. He was a freedom fighter. He also assassinated Gandhi not for a personal dispute, but rather to warn/ tell the nation that Gandhi is no hero. In the speech, Godse also accused Gandhi of dividing the country into India and Pakistan. The assassination of Gandhi was not in a fit of rage; it was mediated and ideologically inspired to send a clear message to the entire nation. Godse had killed Gandhi but Pragya by her condemnable remarks she is killing the ideals, principles non-violence and peace in India.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Health risks of sedentary lifestyle

Suraj Chandran

November 29, 2019

Sedentary lifestyle is known as type of lifestyle where an individual does not receive regular amount of physical activity. This type of lifestyle appears to have a negative impact on the mental well being of an individual. Today lifestyle of people has undergone a tremendous change. People spend more hours in the office in front of computers. Many of them sit on their desk for a long period of time and seldom get up. Due to rising traffic, people commute for long hours in their vehicles for reaching their workplaces. After reaching home they watch television. Australian researchers reported that each hour spent watching television is linked to 18 per cent increase in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Children are glued to their mobile phones as they seldom indulge in physical activities. Sitting for long periods is associated with worse health outcomes including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of dying either from heart disease or other medical problem.

Doctors say that people should take short break from their work. Health professionals say that people should walk 10000 steps a day (approximately 5 miles) is the ideal goal to be set for improving health. People should wake up and make an effort to move every hour. Instead of sending emails to colleagues they can meet them at their desk. For every 20 minutes of sitting people should try to stand for eight minutes and move around for two minutes. Three to five minutes walk throughout the workday can reverse the harm caused to peripheral arteries in the legs by prolonged sitting. Instead of sitting around a conference table people should try walking meetings.

Studies have found that activities like stair climbing burn more calories than jogging. If people sit for a long period of time they should make it a point to stand up at least every 20 minutes. They can set a remainder on calendar or phone to keep a track of their physical activities. It is better to opt for a standing desk, a treadmill desk or fitness ball seat. People can perform other tasks like sweeping the floor, taking out garbage, vaccum cleaning. Engaging in physical activity after eating helps reduce blood pressure as well as the risk of developing insulin resistance. While watching a movie people can utilise the commercial break time to move around. Breaking up the screen time whether be it television computer, tablet or phone, will help reduce the amount of time they spend on sedentary each day. They can go to the playground and run or undertake gardening activities. Gardening is not only mentally stimulating but many people find it an enjoyable way to stay active.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 29 November, 2019

Web Team

November 29, 2019

BJP leader blames EVMs for West Bengal by-polls defeat

It refers to results of recently held by-polls where TMC won all the three seats in West Bengal state-assembly defeating BJP. Even BJP retained one assembly-seat for Uttarakhand state-assembly by a narrow margin of just 3267 votes. It is surprising that BJP which always criticised opposition for blaming EVMs for defeat of opposition, is now itself blaming EVMs for the results which did not go well with BJP.

Ruling BJP marching ahead with its nationalist agenda, should also concentrate simultaneously on other issues which are affecting day-to-day lives of commoners. At the same time, other national agenda like having a Uniform Civil Code and population-policy apart from massive and consolidated poll-reforms should also be continued.

Madhu Agrawal

Lesson for BJP

Inspite of pulling out all the stops BJP could not succeed in Maharashtra government formation. It makes clear that no party can claim a permanent place in the states. Unemployment problem is burning issue in every states and there are many other problems too including farmer issues. I think that the government’s failure to curb this problem has reflected on the BJP’s reduced numbers in the state. And this has given an impetus to parties to break from the NDA fold. The BJP, therefore, should take a lesson from it, and must pay attention to the main purpose and perform a thankless task for the people regardless of all things that are not strictly needed.

Seraj Ali

Bill to ban e-cigarettes

Lok Sabha passed a bill which seeks to ban electronic cigarette. First-time violators will face a jail term of up to one year and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. For subsequent offences, a jail term of up to three years or a fine of Rs 5 lakh, or both, will be imposed, according to the ordinance. The storage of e-cigarettes shall also be punishable with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to Rs 50,000, or both. Really it’s a welcome decision, because such a measure was necessary to protect the youth from a new intoxication being promoted by companies as a new “fashion”

Amjadullah Abuzar

Odisha emerges as top investment destination

It’s good news that Odisha has now emerged as the top investment destination among states, reportedly attracting 18% of all investments nationally during April-September, is remarkable. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is serving his fifth continuous term. Good politics can lead to good economics, too, it would appear. Odisha has been able leverage its resources and locational advantages to coagulate funds on the ground, with transparency and increased efficiency. Other investment-laggard states can well traverse the growth path, provided they build effective partnerships with all stakeholders. It’s a wonderful development in Odisha. And its credit goes to the chief minister and residents of the state.

Mohammad

Another setback for BJP

The ruling BJP faced another setback, going in to the December 5 bypolls, with former MLA Raju Kage announcing his decision to join the Congress. I think Kage is upset over the BJP backing disqualified Congress legislator Shrimanth Patil from Kagwad constituency. Kage’s exit will have little impact on the BJP’s prospects in the bypolls. The BJP will win 12 out of the 15 seats.

MS Tarique

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray – The new CM sworn in

Afternoon Voice

November 28, 2019

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray,Uddhav Thackeray,Maharashtra CM,Thackeray,Uddhav — Image Courtesy: Agency

Uddhav Thackeray arrived with his family, looking very happy and head high at Shivaji Park. The stage was all set with flowers and the backdrop of a theme depicting the historic “Shivrajyabhishek” — the crowning of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — and a large picture of Maharashtra Legislature building, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari took a lead to swear-in Shiv Sena President and Maha Vikas Aghadi leader Uddhav Thackeray as the new Chief Minister, at the historic Shivaji Park, Dadar West.

Under the baton of veteran Bollywood art director Nitin Desai, an army of around 1,000 workmen and designers are working furiously since Wednesday evening to ensure the ‘Shivrajyabhishek’ set in colourful splendor was completed at 3 pm, as also a massive stage measuring around 8,000 square feet with a seating capacity of around 300.

The government and Shiv Sena have ordered over 40,000 chairs to accommodate the invited guests close to the stage, and the remaining expected over 3,00,000 activists of the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress covered the rest of the ground at Shivaji Park. The Mumbai Police implemented massive traffic restrictions due heavy VVIP movements for the swearing-in ceremony. Among the dignitaries invited include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, but they failed to attend the ceremony. Leaders of all national parties, Chief Ministers of many opposition states, members of the judiciary, civil, police and defence officials, diplomatic corps stationed in Mumbai, films and sports personalities, industrialists, celebs and more than 500 farmers and farm widows, to witness the oath ceremony.

On the other hand, Ajit Pawar’s supporters put up posters claiming him to be future Maharashtra CM. Poster stated, “Let us decide now what you should or should not do. Whole Maharashtra is looking towards you as a future Chief Minister”. Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar resigned from their posts merely three days after they took oath in controversial turn of events. Later after the move, Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress met the Governor and staked claimed to form the government in Maharashtra. Following the incident, the Governor announced that Uddhav Thackeray would take oath on November 28 as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

CM Uddhav Thackeray – A photographer, philosopher and political leader

Vaidehi Taman

November 28, 2019

With the swearing-in of Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra will have the first Shiv Sena Chief Minister in 20 years. The last Shiv Sena member to hold the top post was Narayan Rane in 1999. Manohar Joshi was the first from Shiv Sena to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 1995. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was nominated as the leader of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress “Maha Vikas Aghadi” at a joint meeting on November 26, following which the senior leaders of the three parties met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim to form the government in the state. Uddhav Thackeray is not an elected member of the Maharashtra assembly, he will be required to contest elections and become a member of the assembly within six months of taking oath as CM.

Born on July 27, 1960, in Mumbai, Uddhav is son of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, has never contested an election previously and has never been a member of the state assembly. The late Bal Thackeray had believed in wielding power from the background and never assuming government positions himself. He had founded the Shiv Sena in 1966 to fight for the rights of the Marathi people. Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray created history by becoming the first member of the Thackeray family to contest an election. Aaditya Thackeray had contested and won from Worli assembly constituency. Uddhav Thackeray will now either have to get one of the party MLAs to resign and contest from the seat or get his son Aaditya Thackeray to resign from Worli. This would also be the first time in Maharashtra politics that the Shiv Sena has broken away from its ally of 30 years (BJP) and joined hands with its foe of 30 years, the Congress and the NCP. Our new CM is a graduate from JJ School of Arts and a published author. He is also a professional photographer whose work has appeared in various magazines and has been showcased at numerous exhibitions. Thackeray is also the editor-in-chief of ‘Saamana’, a prominent Marathi newspaper which was founded by his father. He was handed over the responsibility of managing the party during the 2002 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, in which Shiv Sena performed well. The 59-year-old was appointed as the working president of the party in 2003. In 2004, Bal Thackeray announced him as the next party chief.

Having entered politics at a late age, Uddhav has had a short span of time to prove his mettle in his party and the state. Under his capable guidance, his party swept several local and state elections. The chief minister-designate has also expanded the party base and network across the state including local bodies and Zilla Parishads.

Thackeray organised a successful debt relief campaign for the farmers of Vidarbha region. The farmers in the region were under heavy debt following a long dry spell in 2007. In the Assembly elections held in October, BJP and Shiv Sena contested the polls together and got 105 and 56 seats, respectively. However, the two parties had fallout over power sharing of the chief ministerial post. Thackeray asserted that the chief minister’s post will be on a rotational basis, with BJP ruling the first half of the five-year term and Sena completing the last half. However, the BJP rejected Sena’s claim, saying no such agreement was finalised before the elections and made it clear that Fadnavis would be the chief minister for full five years. Thackeray then severed his party’s 30-year-old ties with BJP and entered into talks with Congress and NCP, two ideologically different parties, charting an unlikely alliance.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively on November 23, pushing the state into deeper political chaos and nixing Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP’s bid to form government in the state. NCP chief Sharad Pawar quickly clarified that his nephew’s decision to join hands with BJP was his personal choice and not of the party’s. After days of quick political developments in the state that included a grand public parade by MLAs from Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP, Fadnavis and Pawar tendered their resignations. While Fadnavis said his party did not have the numbers to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly, Pawar stepped down due to personal reasons. The resignations came after the Supreme Court had asked the Fadnavis government to prove its majority in the 288-member Assembly. Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader of the tri-party alliance which met the Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim to form the government in the state. Thackeray is married to Rashmi Thackeray and has two sons, Aaditya and Tejas. The 59-year-old’s photo book Maharashtra Desha (2010), which is full of breathtaking aerial shots, offers a glimpse into the cultural fabric, physical beauty and historical perspective of Maharashtra.He has set new parameters in state politics and reached to the peaks of the power in state. We wish him luck and expect a steady government.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

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