Raj Thackeray has always considered his uncle Bal Thackeray as his role model and has been imitating his gestures and words for years. After breaking away from the Shiv Sena and founding the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Raj was prohibited by his uncle to use his picture on MNS hoardings. But that has not prevented Raj from modelling his organisation on the Shiv Sena lines. After forming trade unions like the Sena, Raj has launched ‘Janadhikar Sena’ which is modelled on the Sena’s ‘Sthaniya Lokadhikar Sena’ which fights for jobs for locals.

Old habits die hard

While the Congress is keeping the NCP on tenterhooks on the pre-poll alliance and seat-sharing formula for the Assembly elections, the NCP has not given up its strategy of indulging in one-upmanship. After the Congress-led coalition government announced that it would request the Supreme Court to allow it to extend the deadline for regularisation of slums from 1995 to 2000, the NCP has displayed hoardings in a bid to take credit. The hoardings titled “Rashtrawadi ka Vada” have smiling faces of Sharad Pawar and other NCP leaders and claim that the party has fulfilled its promise made to slum-dwellers. There is, however, a disclaimer at the bottom, which says that the decision has been taken by the coalition government. The NCP strategy is reminiscent of a similar publicity blitz unleashed by it hours after the UPA announced the farmers’ loan waiver.

Influential influenza

The insufficient rainfall and the swine flu have taken priority over other issues in the run-up to the Assembly elections. The ruling Congress-NCP politicians, in private conversations, feel that the two issues would distract attention of the people from other contentious issues. The Congress has instructed its cadres to act against hoarders of essentials, while the Shiv Sena is distributing masks to combat the flu. The eve of the festive season has seen politicians coming together on issues like curtailing festivities to avoid large gatherings to curb infection.  

... contd.