Several Congress leaders who had earlier defected to the BJP in pursuit of power have now been expressing a desire to return to the Congress, driven by the party’s growing popularity in Maharashtra. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has instructed Maharashtra Congress leaders not to entertain these individuals. He has emphasised that those who had abandoned the party during challenging times should not be allowed back. Gandhi has also urged the party’s focus to be on strengthening the Congress’ grassroots network ahead of the state assembly election.Image makeover of Ajit PawarMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, whose wife lost the Lok Sabha elections to Supriya Sule in Baramati, is desperate for an image overhaul for himself and his party, especially with the state assembly elections scheduled for October. To this end, Pawar has hired the DesignBoxed political strategist agency, reportedly at a significant cost. This agency, which previously worked for Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, is employing a similar pink color scheme for Pawar’s party and has advised him to wear a gray jacket to change his public persona. Concerns over IAS cadre reputationThe Maharashtra cadre is highly coveted among IAS officers after they clear the civil service exams and training. However, the appointment of trainee IAS officer Dr Pooja Khedkar has tarnished the cadre’s reputation. The IAS community in Maharashtra is troubled by the fallout from Dr. Khedkar’s appointment. State Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik reportedly called the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration to express her displeasure over the assignment of Dr Khedkar without proper verification and consultation. The IAS lobby is grateful to the Pune Collector for preventing a potential future mishap.Sudhir SuryawanshiOur correspondent in Maharashtrasuryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com
Source link
