By Sushil Kutty

It’s a month since the Maha Vikas Aghadi government fell and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took over replacing the Uddhav Thackeray alliance. They haven’t yet started governing Maharashtra in earnest as there is no ministry formation. The two appear to be enjoying the honeymoon while keeping both BJP and Shinde MLAs in tenterhooks.

Don’t know about Devendra Fadnavis, but how’s it that Eknath Shinde can’t take a step without the BJP central leadership giving its nod? The more Chief Minister Eknath Shinde delays ministry formation, the more Shinde will lose credibility. Shinde is no fool, he should know by now that his government is hanging by its shins, with feet dragging in the mud.

To add insult to injury, Governor BS Koshiyari cannot stop laughing at his own comment that Mumbai wouldn’t be the financial capital of India, if the Gujarati and the Marwari took their businesses to Gujarat and Rajasthan. Now, the Marathi manoos are fuming, ready to go to battle.

It cannot be that Koshiyari is a child who doesn’t understand the power of words to stir up trouble? From what’s being heard and told in Mumbai and Pune, Shambajinagar, Nagpur and Thane, the ‘BS’ that Koshiyari spoke will not be tolerated. The Marathi manoos will not take it lying down.

Besides, much to Shinde’s disgust, Koshiyari has given the Thackeray clan a reason to live. And that includes cousin Raj Thackeray, who was ready to go slow on Marathi chauvinism, but cannot ignore it any longer after Koshiyari’s bloomer! The MNS strongman is once again back where he always used to be, ready to defend Marathi and Maratha.

Koshiyari could do with a political teacher. The man isn’t even Gujarati or Marwari, he is an Uttarakhandi! This is what he said, “Sometimes I tell people that if Gujarati and Rajasthani leave, there will be no money left in Mumbai and Mumbai will not be the financial capital. Gujarati and Marwari communities have contributed a lot in the development of Mumbai and Thane.’’

Haven’t we been hearing off and on, intermittently, that the BJP harbours a grandiose dream to sever cash-cow  Mumbai from Maharashtra’s grasp? Koshyari was in fact speaking at a road-naming function in Andheri West, Mumbai. For all we know, this must not be an off-the-cuff remark, this must be commonplace koshiyari-speak when Union Home Minister Amit Shah calls when nobody is about. .

This isn’t even a foot in the mouth, this is an entire leg in the mouth. Koshiyari is a prime example of the typical BJP governor. For reasons unknown, BJP appointed governors cannot rest unless they are stirring the communal pot. Now, you’ll have, for a perfectly uncalled for reason, Gujarati and Marwari smirking at the sight of a Marathi manoos.

One of those governors will soon become the Vice President. Guv Jagdeep Dhankar beat guv Koshiyari to the VeePee appointment. The surprising thing is, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde can’t complain to the BJP high command, which is now also the Shinde group’s high command. The searchlight is now on Shinde and his group of Shiv Sena MLAs who jumped the ship.

Koshiyari is a serial offender when it comes to embarrassing chief ministers. He did it to the non-BJP chief minister and he is not beyond doing it to the chief minister toeing the BJP-line, hook, line and sinker.  Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis could do without such distractions, they already have too much on their plate, wishes unfulfilled thanks to the overbearing BJP brass.

It’s a month to the day, Uddhav Thackeray quit and the MVA alliance government fell, but there still isn’t a Shinde-Fadnavis government in place. All the ministries and all the portfolios with nothing to show! And Koshiyari played along, not asking the Chief Minister to do his duty to the state and its people instead of belittling Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Previously, Koshiyari never let go a chance to embarrass Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Perhaps, being BJP at his core, he doesn’t think much of Shiv Sainik Eknath Shinde, too. Let’s not forget Devendra Fadnavis and Guv Koshiyari were a team throughout UT’s aborted reign. Guv Koshiyari was in cahoots with Fadnavis when the latter was installed Chief Minister in alliance with Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Sharad Pawar cut that alliance short, and Fadnavis cannot fake Alzheimer’s, neither can Koshiyari amnesia! (IPA Service)

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