Mumbai: Before the start of the two-day Chintan Shivir of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) in Shirdi, senior party leaders Dilip Walse Patil and Praful Patel made contradictory statements regarding the municipal elections. These statements have raised questions on the party’s strategy.

Speaking to the media, Dilip Walse Patil said, “If there is an alliance, it is fine, otherwise NCP is fully prepared to contest the elections alone.” His statement made it clear that the party is not completely dependent on the alliance.

On the other hand, Praful Patel, showing inclination towards the alliance, said, “Wherever possible, we are ready to contest the elections as a grand alliance.” Patel’s statement has created confusion about the party’s election strategy.

These contradictory statements indicate differences in the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP regarding the election strategy. This has created an atmosphere of confusion among the workers.

The idea of ​​a grand alliance for the municipal elections has not taken a concrete shape yet. It will be interesting to see whether the NCP goes with the alliance in the upcoming elections or on its own strength. Discussions have intensified in political circles on this stance of the party.

Mumbai: Speculation has intensified that Bhaskar Jadhav, the aggressive leader of the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction and the only MLA from Konkan, will leave the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction and join the Shinde faction. After the failure of the Mahavikas Aghadi in the assembly elections, Bhaskar Jadhav indirectly expressed his displeasure over the leadership of the Thackeray faction.

Recently, Jadhav had said, “Shiv Sena Thackeray faction has now almost become Congress,” and through this statement he had given a sharp message to Uddhav Thackeray. After his statement, discontent within the Thackeray faction has emerged further. There is a discussion in political circles that the Thackeray faction in the Konkan region may suffer a major setback due to Bhaskar Jadhav.

Shinde faction claims: Big entry will happen soon

Shinde faction leader and minister Uday Samant gave a big statement in this context and said, “There will be a big entry from the Thackeray faction to the Shinde faction in the next 8 days.” Samant also said, “The political equations will change by January 24. The position of the Thackeray faction in Ratnagiri has become as weak as that of the Congress, and now their leaders are joining the Shinde faction.”

Will Bhaskar Jadhav join the Shinde faction?

When asked about Bhaskar Jadhav, Uday Samant said, “Jadhav himself described the Thackeray faction as similar to the Congress. If he joins the Shinde faction, it will strengthen the legacy of Bala Saheb Thackeray’s ideas. His guidance will be very beneficial for us.” This statement of Samant has brought Bhaskar Jadhav’s political activities into further discussion.

Discussion intensifies in political circles

Bhaskar Jadhav’s recent activities indicate that he is dissatisfied with the Thackeray faction. Dissatisfaction with the leadership is also being seen among other leaders of the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction. If Jadhav joins the Shinde faction, it can have a big impact on the politics of the Konkan region and the organizational structure of the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction.

Bhaskar Jadhav’s next move can create new equations in Maharashtra politics, and the whole state is keeping an eye on it.

Kolkata, Jan 18: With just a few hours left for a special court in Kolkata to deliver its verdict on the rape and murder of a woman doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August last year, the entire court premises have been wrapped under a blanket of security since early Saturday morning, even as her parents issued a last-moment appeal to the public not to end the fight for justice.

The cops of Kolkata Police have raised layers of barricades within the entire court premises apprehending that there will be a major gathering of common people, representatives of the civil society as well the state’s medical fraternity.

On Saturday morning, the mother of the victim issued a last-minute appeal through social media to the common people not to end the movement with the verdict being pronounced later in the day by the special court.

“If the dreams of our deceased daughter do not get justice, her life-long achievements would become fruitless. We pray that no girl faces such pain which my daughter faced. All those who are responsible should not be spared at any cost. They should be punished so that no other daughter faces the same pain like ours,” the appeal from the victim’s mother read.

According to them, Saturday’s verdict will be the first step in this direction.

“The real justice will be achieved only when all the masterminds behind the crime are brought within the ambit of the investigation and punished. We all should raise the demand not for just the sake of my daughter but for the sake of security of all the daughters,” her appeal read.

“As a mother all I can say is that I have lost everything. But I will continue my fight for other daughters till justice is achieved,” her appeal concluded.

On Friday evening, the parents of the victim expressed apprehension that their quest for justice for their daughter would be limited to conviction and sentencing of the “sole prime accused” in the case Sanjay Ray, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, thus allowing the “suspected” conspirators involved in “tampering” and “altering” with the evidences in the matter, of remaining behind the curtains forever.