Uddhav now has remote control of power in Maharashtra, says Shiv Sena
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Sunday said it now had the "remote control of power" in Maharashtra despite getting fewer seats in the 2019 assembly polls when compared to 2014.
During the first Sena-BJP government in the state, between 1995 to 1999, the term remote control was regularly used for and by the late party patriarch Bal Thackeray to explain the chain of command in the dispensation.
The two allies are in the midst of tough negotiations after the BJP returned a less-than-impressive performance in the assembly polls, results of which were declared on October 24, with 105 seats against 122 in 2014.
Among Sena's demands is a written assurance from the BJP on "equal sharing of power", which could possibly include equal division of the chief ministerial tenure.
In his column 'Rokhthok' in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', Sanjay Raut said, "The Sena won less seats this time, 56 compared to 63 in 2014, but it has the remote control of power".
"The dream that the Shiv Sena will drag itself behind the BJP is busted (after poll results). A cartoon showing a tiger (Sena's identity) holding a lotus (BJP's symbol) in its hand tells a lot about the current scenario. Not taking anyone for granted is the message," he said in his column.
Raut is the executive editor of Saamana and also the chief whip of the party in Parliament. The column hinted that the Sena would stay firm on its demands before government formation with the BJP.
Hitting out at its ally further, he wrote, "The BJP's strategy of contesting 164 seats and winning 144 of them was rejected by voters. The election result is the defeat of unethical thoughts of increasing the tally by getting key Congress-NCP leaders to join the BJP, by luring them or threatening them."
He said the defeat of NCP-turned-BJP leader Udayanraje Bhosale in the Satara bypoll was a message to those who were assuming they could "do whatever they wanted" to win polls.
Bhosale had won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Satara on an NCP ticket before quitting and joining the BJP, necessitating a bypoll in which he was trounced by NCP's Srinivas Patil.
Those whose heads are in the clouds will end up like Udayanraje was the message of the 2019 assembly polls, he said in the column.
Raut also claimed that people did not like comments like "ending the Pawar pattern", and the dislike was expressed through the ballot, especially in rural areas where the opposition did well.
"The Shiv Sena stopped the BJP's plans of forming a government on its own in the state in 2014. In 2019, it was Sharad Pawar who did the same," Raut said.
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First-ever life-size Vivekananda statue in US unveiled in Seattle
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New York (PTI): The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the US was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.
The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the US, officials said.
Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled on Saturday by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta.
"From Chicago 1893 to Seattle 2026! Seattle's skyline has a new Indian icon: Swami Vivekananda! City of Seattle becomes the first city government to host the Swami Vivekananda Monument in the heart of downtown Seattle," the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a social media post.
Addressing the event, Wilson said the monument reflects Seattle's inclusive spirit and strengthens cultural ties between India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest.
The statue has been gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of its "in recognition of the city’s rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity", the Indian mission in Seattle said in a statement.
The unveiling of the statue was held on the occasion of the celebration of ICCR Day and is part of India's broader cultural diplomacy initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between India and the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate said.
Located at the bustling Westlake Square, which sees over 400,000 visitors daily, the monument stands near prominent landmarks including the Amazon headquarters ‘Spheres’, the Seattle Convention Centre and the Seattle Centre Monorail.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by several local leaders, including mayors from cities in the Greater Seattle area, community representatives and members of the Indian-American diaspora.
Swami Vivekananda had delivered his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, introducing Hindu philosophy to a global audience.
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