Mumbai:
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has many fires to put out. Mumbai is engulfed by the war between the Shiv Sena and actor Shah Rukh Khan. The Sena has also declared battle against Rahul Gandhi for stating that Mumbai belongs to all Indians.
And the chief minister's coalition partner has serious differences with him over who should be eligible to drive taxis in Maharashtra - the issue that sparked the 'Whose Mumbai Is It' debate that is raging across the country.
The current priority for Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is Rahul Gandhi's visit to Mumbai on Friday. After initially warning that it would not allow Gandhi into the city, the Sena's Uddhav Thackeray told NDTV that this time, his workers will not disrupt Gandhi's visit. Certainly not on his watch, adds Chavan. "We will not tolerate those who speak ill of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. We will come out on the streets in protest."
For Gandhi's visit, the artillery's out. He will be flown by helicopter from one location to the other. A dress rehearsal conducted with the police on Thursday showed how Gandhi will be taken from the helipad to the venue of his first meeting, two kilometers away.
Chavan's apparent preparations are weaker for Shah Rukh Khan, whose comments on Pakistani cricketers have provoked the Sena's wrath. "We are watching for anything illegal that they may do," said Chavan.
Chavan's also got to watch his own back. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), his ally in the state, is upset with Chavan for diluting the Cabinet's decision to give new taxi permits only to Marathi-speakers. Confronting public criticism, Chavan said Gujarati and Hindi speakers would also be eligible to work as taxi driver.
At recent Cabinet meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal openly criticised Chavan's decision, claiming that it will alienate the Marathi vote. Chavan's rivals within the Congress, including Patangrao Kadam and Narayan Rane, ganged up with Bhujbal.
Speaking to NDTV, Bhujbal said, "Every state has a law to favour its own language, I don't see what the problem is."
Both the Congress and the NCP have been wooing the Marathi vote, worried that it will be monopolised by the Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's party. But the Congress has a larger presence in Mumbai and a bigger hold over the North Indian community, which means it needs to be cautious about being identified with anti-migrant policies.
Raj Thackeray's success with voters has led political parties to panic that he is cornering the local vote. And it's the municipal corporation elections of 2012 that are guiding leaders now in what stand to take when it comes to 'Whose Mumbai Is It'.
And the chief minister's coalition partner has serious differences with him over who should be eligible to drive taxis in Maharashtra - the issue that sparked the 'Whose Mumbai Is It' debate that is raging across the country.
The current priority for Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is Rahul Gandhi's visit to Mumbai on Friday. After initially warning that it would not allow Gandhi into the city, the Sena's Uddhav Thackeray told NDTV that this time, his workers will not disrupt Gandhi's visit. Certainly not on his watch, adds Chavan. "We will not tolerate those who speak ill of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. We will come out on the streets in protest."
For Gandhi's visit, the artillery's out. He will be flown by helicopter from one location to the other. A dress rehearsal conducted with the police on Thursday showed how Gandhi will be taken from the helipad to the venue of his first meeting, two kilometers away.
Chavan's apparent preparations are weaker for Shah Rukh Khan, whose comments on Pakistani cricketers have provoked the Sena's wrath. "We are watching for anything illegal that they may do," said Chavan.
Chavan's also got to watch his own back. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), his ally in the state, is upset with Chavan for diluting the Cabinet's decision to give new taxi permits only to Marathi-speakers. Confronting public criticism, Chavan said Gujarati and Hindi speakers would also be eligible to work as taxi driver.
At recent Cabinet meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal openly criticised Chavan's decision, claiming that it will alienate the Marathi vote. Chavan's rivals within the Congress, including Patangrao Kadam and Narayan Rane, ganged up with Bhujbal.
Speaking to NDTV, Bhujbal said, "Every state has a law to favour its own language, I don't see what the problem is."
Both the Congress and the NCP have been wooing the Marathi vote, worried that it will be monopolised by the Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's party. But the Congress has a larger presence in Mumbai and a bigger hold over the North Indian community, which means it needs to be cautious about being identified with anti-migrant policies.
Raj Thackeray's success with voters has led political parties to panic that he is cornering the local vote. And it's the municipal corporation elections of 2012 that are guiding leaders now in what stand to take when it comes to 'Whose Mumbai Is It'.
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