Receiving US President in Mumbai was a political consolation to outgoing Maharashtra CM. Departure of Barak Obama was followed by ousting of Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan was named as 25th Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He will be the 16th person to take oath of office of this highly prestigious post. His predecessor had this honor twice so as Vilasrao Deshmukh and Shankar Rao Chavan. Vasantrao Naik, Vasantdada Patil and Sharad Pawar held the coveted position three times each. Vasantrao Naik was the only Chief Minister who had occupied the office for full five year term (1967-1972) starting from formation of the Vidhan Sabha to dissolution of it. He is also the longest serving Chief Minister of Maharashtra totaling more than 10 years of uninterrupted reigns.
Prithviraj Chavan’s choice as chief of the Congress legislature party in Maharashtra, even though he was never member of state assembly, signals a long term strategy of Congress high-command. Maharashtra has become an exception in Sonia Gandhi’s strategy of continuance of Chief Ministerial post in Congress-ruled states. In the 11 years since recapturing of state assembly from the saffron alliance, the Congress-NCP is now having the 5th Chief Minister; with Vilasrao Deshmukh donning the cap twice and at least half a dozen aspirants waiting in the line. Compare this with the other Congress ruled states and the difference becomes stark. Providing stable and development oriented government seems to be the priority of Congress president. And this is the real challenge before the new Chief Minister. All these years in politics, Prithviraj Chavan has maintained distance from various state factions and kept himself away from lobbying for anybody for positions in state politics. This has become his edge over other contenders for the top post. While he has acquired considerable experience as administrator in central government, he lacks first hand political knowledge of handling the 24X7 conspirators in Maharashtra Congress. His selection is also a message to central ministers from Maharashtra, mainly Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde, to concentrate on their incumbent jobs rather than scoring goals in the murky state politics. Along with his colleagues in Delhi, Prithviraj Chavan has to take care of nuisance of Narayan Rane and others in the Maharashtra Congress.
As a minister in UPA government since last 6 years and working in the PMO all this period, Prithviraj Chavan is well acquainted with priorities of Manmohan Singh government and its flagship programs. This is an advantage for him in implementing center sponsored schemes in the state. On the other hand, his ability to grasp the rural and agricultural despair and provide remedy to it will be tested during his tenure. In the last Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, the loan waiver scheme had boosted the Congress performance significantly. This may not be the factor four years from now when the state will go for scheduled elections. In spite the rapid rate of urbanization and emergence of city-centered political forces like MNS, farmers hold the political key in Maharashtra; particularly the agricultural community in Vidarbha and Marathvada region. These are the least familiar areas for Mr. Chavan. Demand of separate statehood not only exists but getting strengthened in these two regions is no good news for new CM, who is after all an outsider in state politics.
Prithviraj Chavan’s posting in Mumbai is also aimed at countering influence of NCP in its stronghold of Western Maharashtra. In rest of Maharashtra, NCP ‘s strength is limited to certain pockets and is stagnated. Although Mr. Chavan hails from Western Maharashtra and thrice elected from family’s pocket borough Karad, of late he has not kept engaged with people in the region. In fact, he was defeated by the newly formed NCP’s candidate in 1999 Lok Sabha election. NCP’s Sriniwas Patil has recorded three consecutive victories in this constituency since formation of the party by Sharad Pawar. Nonetheless, the NCP has taken up the challenge of Prithviraj Chavan entering the state politics quite seriously. The first sign of it was Ajit Pawar’s elevation as Deputy Chief Minister. Energetic nephew of Sharad Pawar knows the nitty-gritty of Western Maharashtra’s politics and can help the party protect its Maratha vote bank. However, demotion of Chagan Bhujbal seriously threatens NCP’s credibility as party of all social groupings, particularly among the OBCs in the state. His immediate and future accommodation in NCP’s hierarchy will have long term effect on NCP’s attempts to increase its support base in the state.
Mr. Chavan’s appointment is also a result of political negation wherein rest of his competitors became ineligible due to some sort of allegation of corruption against them; the main reason of leadership change merely a year after last assembly elections. However, many corrupt faces will continue to hold portfolios in the Prithviraj Chavan’s ministry; making it tough for him to provide clean administration. Years of deliberate neglect of corrupt activities of state leaders has resulted into a situation where in the state government has become hostage to lobbies of industrialists-mining mafias-real estate dealers-educational tsars-liquor barons and co-operative supremos. They are the real power bearers no matter who the Chief Minister is or whoever is his deputy. Neither Mr. Chavan nor the Congress has any program to break the stranglehold of these powerful lobbies to provide relief to common man. The new CM, in all probability, will provide stable government since equally corrupt and inept political opposition in the state poses no threat to the ruling alliance. But there is least possibility of Mr. Chavan leaving an impression of clean and working government, another reason for this being lack of mass support for the new CM. Mr. Chavan, or anyone else for that matter, cannot take on the corrupt lobbies unless they raise people’s support for the cause. In such scenario, corruption will continue unabated despite having a non-corrupt administrator at the helms of the affair, who will be merely an instrument in the hands of corrupt lobbies. The latter will, in fact, thrive on his or her clean image. Fight against corruption cannot be win by rhetoric and symbolism but by people oriented policies and clear priorities. Interestingly, Mr. Chavan has not uttered a word so far against high level corruption; instead he is seeking co-operation from everyone, including the tainted politicians.
Thus, political and administrative challenges before the new CM are enormous. Only sky is the limit for performance. Can he? Will he? These are the key questions in the minds of people in the state, who are desperately seeking positive answers.
Prithviraj Chavan’s choice as chief of the Congress legislature party in Maharashtra, even though he was never member of state assembly, signals a long term strategy of Congress high-command. Maharashtra has become an exception in Sonia Gandhi’s strategy of continuance of Chief Ministerial post in Congress-ruled states. In the 11 years since recapturing of state assembly from the saffron alliance, the Congress-NCP is now having the 5th Chief Minister; with Vilasrao Deshmukh donning the cap twice and at least half a dozen aspirants waiting in the line. Compare this with the other Congress ruled states and the difference becomes stark. Providing stable and development oriented government seems to be the priority of Congress president. And this is the real challenge before the new Chief Minister. All these years in politics, Prithviraj Chavan has maintained distance from various state factions and kept himself away from lobbying for anybody for positions in state politics. This has become his edge over other contenders for the top post. While he has acquired considerable experience as administrator in central government, he lacks first hand political knowledge of handling the 24X7 conspirators in Maharashtra Congress. His selection is also a message to central ministers from Maharashtra, mainly Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde, to concentrate on their incumbent jobs rather than scoring goals in the murky state politics. Along with his colleagues in Delhi, Prithviraj Chavan has to take care of nuisance of Narayan Rane and others in the Maharashtra Congress.
As a minister in UPA government since last 6 years and working in the PMO all this period, Prithviraj Chavan is well acquainted with priorities of Manmohan Singh government and its flagship programs. This is an advantage for him in implementing center sponsored schemes in the state. On the other hand, his ability to grasp the rural and agricultural despair and provide remedy to it will be tested during his tenure. In the last Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, the loan waiver scheme had boosted the Congress performance significantly. This may not be the factor four years from now when the state will go for scheduled elections. In spite the rapid rate of urbanization and emergence of city-centered political forces like MNS, farmers hold the political key in Maharashtra; particularly the agricultural community in Vidarbha and Marathvada region. These are the least familiar areas for Mr. Chavan. Demand of separate statehood not only exists but getting strengthened in these two regions is no good news for new CM, who is after all an outsider in state politics.
Prithviraj Chavan’s posting in Mumbai is also aimed at countering influence of NCP in its stronghold of Western Maharashtra. In rest of Maharashtra, NCP ‘s strength is limited to certain pockets and is stagnated. Although Mr. Chavan hails from Western Maharashtra and thrice elected from family’s pocket borough Karad, of late he has not kept engaged with people in the region. In fact, he was defeated by the newly formed NCP’s candidate in 1999 Lok Sabha election. NCP’s Sriniwas Patil has recorded three consecutive victories in this constituency since formation of the party by Sharad Pawar. Nonetheless, the NCP has taken up the challenge of Prithviraj Chavan entering the state politics quite seriously. The first sign of it was Ajit Pawar’s elevation as Deputy Chief Minister. Energetic nephew of Sharad Pawar knows the nitty-gritty of Western Maharashtra’s politics and can help the party protect its Maratha vote bank. However, demotion of Chagan Bhujbal seriously threatens NCP’s credibility as party of all social groupings, particularly among the OBCs in the state. His immediate and future accommodation in NCP’s hierarchy will have long term effect on NCP’s attempts to increase its support base in the state.
Mr. Chavan’s appointment is also a result of political negation wherein rest of his competitors became ineligible due to some sort of allegation of corruption against them; the main reason of leadership change merely a year after last assembly elections. However, many corrupt faces will continue to hold portfolios in the Prithviraj Chavan’s ministry; making it tough for him to provide clean administration. Years of deliberate neglect of corrupt activities of state leaders has resulted into a situation where in the state government has become hostage to lobbies of industrialists-mining mafias-real estate dealers-educational tsars-liquor barons and co-operative supremos. They are the real power bearers no matter who the Chief Minister is or whoever is his deputy. Neither Mr. Chavan nor the Congress has any program to break the stranglehold of these powerful lobbies to provide relief to common man. The new CM, in all probability, will provide stable government since equally corrupt and inept political opposition in the state poses no threat to the ruling alliance. But there is least possibility of Mr. Chavan leaving an impression of clean and working government, another reason for this being lack of mass support for the new CM. Mr. Chavan, or anyone else for that matter, cannot take on the corrupt lobbies unless they raise people’s support for the cause. In such scenario, corruption will continue unabated despite having a non-corrupt administrator at the helms of the affair, who will be merely an instrument in the hands of corrupt lobbies. The latter will, in fact, thrive on his or her clean image. Fight against corruption cannot be win by rhetoric and symbolism but by people oriented policies and clear priorities. Interestingly, Mr. Chavan has not uttered a word so far against high level corruption; instead he is seeking co-operation from everyone, including the tainted politicians.
Thus, political and administrative challenges before the new CM are enormous. Only sky is the limit for performance. Can he? Will he? These are the key questions in the minds of people in the state, who are desperately seeking positive answers.
it is true that new chief minister,how ever strong he may be with the support of high command,will be hostage of corrupt lobbies of politicians working in maharashtra, but there is one field where he can do wonders !he can control the bureaucracy and break the nexus between corrupt bureaucrat's and corrupt politicians.all political analyst always overlooks corruption in bureaucracy,which is growing with alarming speed and protected by service rules!
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