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Echo in the corridors of power

The Maharashtra Government is under fire. Mahesh Vijapurkar reports.

THE TWIN blasts have really shaken up the political establishment in Maharashtra. It is not just the Opposition parties that are targeting the Congress-NCP Government. Even captains of industry have voiced concern. At a Government-industry interface, Mukesh Ambani reportedly termed the explosions "our final wake up call." At the same meeting, Rahul Bajaj reportedly told the Chief Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, and his Deputy, Chhagan Bhujbal, "We [the people] have elected you. Don't hide information from us."

The seven bomb blasts in Mumbai since December 2, 2002, have left the people uneasy. And with Assembly elections due in about a year from now, the Opposition Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine is upbeat. "We do not even need to speak a word," says the BJP's State unit chief, Gopinath Munde. Actually, its poll campaign is already on the roll. And it is pleased that influential society leaders — Mr. Ambani, Adi Godrej, Mr. Rahul Bajaj, Deepak Parekh, Anand Mahindra and others including former bureaucrats who know how the Government works — have spoken up.

During the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities beginning today, the BJP-Shiv Sena combine proposes to conduct "maha-aarthis". The Opposition's aggression, which is now beginning to show after the initial willingness to go along with Mr. Shinde so as not to stir up things after the blasts, is only likely to mount because it finds the Government already on the defensive. The Government has been unable to explain how RDX was used though the State has been on alert since December 2, 2002. Memories of the blasts 10 years ago have been revived.

Mr. Munde says the Government has stubbed its own toe and that the Opposition "has to stand by the people". It was after the riots and subsequent serial blasts of 1992-93 that the Shiv Sena-BJP came to power in 1995.

Making matters worse for the Democratic Front are the problems within. Tensions between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, always there just below the surface, have worsened.

A blame game is on and Mr. Bhujbal, the NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister who handles the Home portfolio, is the target. The Congress has begun to say that the Home Department's propensity to dilute law and order management practices, especially with regard to transfers, is part of the problem. Within the NCP too, Mr. Bhujbal has his detractors. When after the blasts, Mr. Bhujbal visited Jhaveri Bazaar, he was jeered. To counter the Opposition criticism, the ruling front has taken to pointing to Mr. Advani's uncritical words when he visited the blast sites. But this can only be small comfort.

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