By Vikas Vaidya :
Three days ago Shiv Sena Pakshpramukh and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray has declared the new body of city unit of the Party and discontent begins reflecting among the senior leaders who have been kept out of loop. Resentment has not come to the fore yet but report of resignation by Satish Harde has gone viral on social media and everybody started expressing their resentment privately. Some have gone ahead and approached even Matoshri, it is learnt.
According to some senior leaders who spoke to ‘The Hitavada’ on condition of anonymity, new persons brought in place of the loyalists. Shekhar Sawarbandhe, who has been serving Shiv Sena sans any expectations for the last 18 years was made Sahasampark Pramukh, quite a secondary post. Prakash Jadhav, a former Member of Parliament was removed ruthlessly without giving him any responsibility is not considered as a very positive development, according to senior Shivsainiks. According sources, Harde and some other leaders not only resigned but also conveyed their hurt to the senior leaders.
Shiv Sena though not openly but behind the curtain has said, bringing in new body is the part of cleansing the party in city. According to some core Sena leaders, it should not cleanse the party that nobody would stay back. The divide in the opinions after formation of new body is clearly indicating the cracks in future. Do the persons who have been given the bigger responsibility know the basic things of Shiv Sena, the way it grows? Do they know how the Shakhapramukh is elected? Do they know the strengths and weaknesses of the party in city? Do they know names of atleast 50 office-bearers?
It is said Dushyant Chaturvedi who is a Contact Head of the city unit is behind this revamp. But according to Party sources in Mumbai, it was Anil Desai and one other leader who did the most changes. Anil Desai is considered to be an excellent at managing elections, legal matters and back room activities. Some changes in the body are inexplicable. Kishor Kumeria who is a lone Corporator in Nagpur Municipal Corporation had too enjoyed the post of Deputy Mayor in the past has a bit solace. He has been given the responsibility of Sahsamparkpramukh but of South Nagpur fromwhere he wishes to contest assembly election. Sources disclosed, there are some people interested in contesting assembly election from South Nagpur. But only Kapse and Kumeria were given the responsibility of South Nagpur.
Kumeria and Manmode tried their luck from this constituency last year against Mohan Mate of Bharatiya Janata Party. Manmode contested as Independent while Kumeria as rebel. Deepak Kapse was Corporator twice from the same area. Kapse will be working as city chief for three assembly constituencies including South Nagpur as one of those as he too may have an eye for contesting election from same constituency. Whether Krupal Tumane, Member of Parliament of Ramtek was taken into confidence is also not known. Most of the new leaders don’t know about the structure, feelings, style of Shiv Sena so how come they would benefit in sailing the boat of the party in elections, is the question being asked by most of the loyalists Shivsainiks.