A new Beginning ( ?)

         Congratulations to the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra!! And to the BJP. For first time in decades, we see a possibility of a new brand of governance in Maharashtra. Earlier, irrespective of who was in power and who the CM was, the power always remained with ‘one’ political entity. It always was a case of ‘Heads I win, Tails you lose’! .As per the faith reposed by the electorate, we expect this government to execute duties devoid of pride, prejudice, regionalism, factionalism and political compulsions. As the Prime Minister has often said, Maharashtra is the ‘Big Brother’. We expect the new government to conclusively establish and prove this fact and not succumb to the wishes of the ‘younger ones’! The battle is not an easy one. The power equation is skewed. Although BJP heads the state government, the local bodies in majority of the state are still controlled by other political players. The Co-operative societies are almost entirely in the hands of Congress and the NCP. To add to this, the culture of power brokers that has prevailed in the state has not let the ruling party unaffected as well. Lastly, the state government has to effectively deal with Center to facilitate uniform development in the state. With states competing for investments and industry, Maharashtra needs to once again establish its supremacy in this area. We are aggressively competing with Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other states that offer tax sops and other benefits. The CM and the state government has to ensure that the interests of state are primal over all other aspects.
         The profile of Shri Devendra Phadavnis is certainly impressive! Although he is the fourth CM from Vidharbha, he is different in terms of his political and cultural lineage. Being a CM at this young age is certainly impressive, but he has to remember that, it doesn’t matter how you begin. What matters is where you end. After all, we did have a chief minister who was younger than him !. We are hopeful that the dynamic CM along with his small team, coupled with the support from Centre, will change the socio-economic landscape of the state. The populace has very high expectations from this government and thus entrusts additional responsibility on the government. While basking in the glory, the government (and the party) has to remember that the task ahead is not easy. Perhaps, it may take not five but ten years to fulfill the expectations of the people. In this journey, support from various other political forces and entities may be required. So the government has to take everyone together at the same time not compromising on its ‘core values’ and promises to the people. Easier said than done !.
         Lastly, it is interesting that a person who openly advocated a separate ‘Vidharbha’ should be elected the Chief Minister of Maharashtra! We believe that an aggressive chief minister from the region, with such an overwhelming mandate, coupled with support from Centre should most certainly be able to push Vidharbha on the path of development and alleviate the concerns of people in that region. Because if that doesn’t happen, the very demand for  a separate Vidharbha state is flawed, except for political reasons!

Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra !