The Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s unopposed election to the state Legislative Council on Wednesday. However, even before that, the Maharashtra CM emerged as the winner in the state’s politics, leaving behind his deputy Ajit Pawar as well as Opposition parties Shiv Sena and the BJP.
When the EC issued a notification for the Legislative Council byelection, the first response from the Sena-BJP alliance was that they would not allow the CM to win unopposed. However, Mr Chavan’s election managers worked overtime to ensure just that.
According to sources, Mr Chavan’s election managers first targeted small parties and Independents and convinced them to endorse his nomination form.
“We convinced the PWP, Samajwadi Party, Vasai Vikas Bahujan Aghadi, the CPI(M) and several Independents to support the CM’s candidature. Later, the MNS also declared its support to the CM. The Shiv Sena and BJP found themselves isolated. They realised that they could only contest a symbolic fight, as their total votes would have been less than 100 while the CM was sure to get the support of more than 170 MLAs,” said a Congress leader.
***
Sonia: Need to strengthen panchayats
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
April 24: In an unusual display of frankness at a public function here, a senior government official on Sunday told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the 11th Five-Year Plan was not panchayat-friendly. Giving vote of thanks during the national Panchyat Diwas function here, panchayati raj secretary A.N.P. Sinha requested the Prime Minister to give Central focus to panchayati Raj in the 12th plan as the 11th plan was not panchayat-friendly.
Earlier in their speeches, both the PM and Mrs Gandhi had emphasised the importance of people’s participation in governance and the need to strengthen gram sabhas. Mrs Gandhi said that there is a need to consider several options to strengthen the panchayati raj system. Further, Mrs Gandhi said that there is a need to hold regular meetings of the gram sabhas and women and deprived sections must participate in them to place their views.
Noting that timely elections to panchayats were necessary for their effective functioning, the PM said that the 70 to 80 per cent turnout in the recent panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Jharkhand “reflects that people now want to decide their future themselves”.
Mr Singh also said that though the idea of self-governance has got legal acceptance, there is still a “long way to go for bringing decentralisation”.