So on this first Monday of Nov 2019, some interesting news stories which I want to share with you all.
1 Maharashtra Govt formation- I last wrote on this topic on last Wednesday, and till today there is no clarity on the govt formation. Although BJP/Shiv Sena had pre poll alliance, but as written earlier Shiv Sena has become adamant and they want to be in power with BJP on equal term, meaning equal share in ministries and Chief Minister from their party for 2.5 years. As per Shiv Sena , at the time of pre poll alliance before Lok Sabha election BJP President Amit Shah had agreed with Shiv Sena president Udhav Thackrey that if their alliance gets the majority after assembly election then both the parties will be sharing power. The present CM Devendra Fadnavis has denied that there was no such agreement, and surprisingly there is no statement from either Amit Shah or PM Narendra Modi on this matter.
In the mean time Shiv Sena has started exploring the other possibility of govt formation, and Udhav Thackrey has been in touch with NCP Chief Sharad Pawar for getting support of NCP/Congress so that his party can form the govt with 56 seats, and 99 seats of NCP/Congress combine. Yesterday Shiv Sena spokeperson gave the statement that they have support of 175 members, which means they are counting on support of 20 independent/other members also. On the other side BJP, being the largest party in assembly with 104 seats, have said that Devendra Fadnavis will meet governor and BJP is set to stake a claim in forming the govt. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari told a delegation led by Union Minister Ramdas Athavale that if no party comes forward by Nov 7, he would, initiate consultations to resolve the impasse. The term of assembly ends on 9th Nov, so new CM must take oath on or before 10th Nov, failing which Central rule would have to be imposed.
Sharad Pawar is going to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi today, to discuss Udhav Thackrey’s request of seeking support from NCP/Congress for govt formation. I find the behaviour of Udhav Thackrey, very strange as for more than last 50 years (after its inception) Shiv Sena has been anti Congress party, and Bal Thackrey, the founder of the party, was dead against Pawar and Sonia Gandhi, and secondly Bal Thackrey was never after power because he wanted to remote control the govt, and during his life time he never contested any election. It looks now Shiv Sena wants to come to power by hook or crook, and hence approached Pawar for support. In my opinion, has Udhav Thackrey forgotten that Congress have never supported any another party, whether at Centre or State, for full term, and generally during mid term they withdraw their support. Congress will find it very difficult to support a staunch Hindu party, fearing if they do this they might lose their vote bank, but they might do so, for the sake of keeping BJP at bay.
Let us wait and watch for the developments.
2 The city of Delhi has become pollution capital of the world. Yesterday was one of the worst ever spells of air pollution in Delhi, perhaps even worse than smog of Nov 2016 and 2017. Yesterday the average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded for Delhi was 494. The parameters gives reading below AQI of 50 as good air and above 300 is considered as dangerous level. The reading of 494 was 6 points short of max reading of 500 on Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality index. Today Supreme Court slammed authorities for their failure to curb pollution in National capital region. A bench of justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta asked the Centre to call the environmental experts to SC immediately. Further added that “ Delhi is choking every year and we are not able to do any thing. Question is that every year it is happening, it can not be done in civilised country. Can we survive this atmosphere? This is not the way we can survive”. SC also took serious note of crop burning in Punjab, Haryana, Western UP and said it can not go unabated every year. The Judges further commented that “ Why there should be unabated crop burning every year? Every year there is hue and cry. States knew this but still they are not tackling this issue”.
The Centre in affidavit informed SC that crop burning has gone up by 7% in Punjab and down by 17% in Haryana. In the end bench commented that “ you are asking people to die. Your states (Punjab & Haryana) are also affected badly. Is this the administration left in Punjab & Haryana? Every year it is happening. We will fasten the liability of states and panchayats also.”
The air quality in the northern belt( Delhi, Punjab & Haryana) is perennial problem, and nothing has been done by either centre or states in this matter. I have full sympathy with the people who are suffering, and it has become normal protocol not to visit Delhi during winters, if it is not AQI then it is fog, which disrupts your travel programme with inordinate delays in trains/flights. I am very happy that SC is intervening in this matter, as these politicians fear only ruling of SC.
In the end what you say my friends in both the matters.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
4th Nov 2019
R. N. Mungale.
1. Shivsena is unnecessarily being adamant.
2.S.. C. is right.