BOMBAY, 2 November 2003 — Prospects of the Democratic Front government grabbing power again in the forthcoming elections to the state legislature appear very dim. The ongoing mud-slinging game between the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra and strained relations between the two coalition partners will turn as a boon and gift for the opposition Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and give them an opportunity to grab power for the second time.
The infighting between the chief minister and his deputy surfaced again, when the NCP showed its political prowess, by snubbing the Congress by appointing Surendra Mohan Shangari as the state police boss last evening. The state Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minsiter Chhagan Bhujbal had his way in the selection of Shangari, as predicted by Arab News.
Political analysts and observers have spelled doom for the Congress-led Democratic Front government, as the opposition saffron alliance have been successful in making inroads in Congress and NCP belt. “ This time neither the charisma of Congress President Sonia Gandhi nor the influence of Maratha strongman and NCP President Sharad Pawar will rescue the government,” said a prominent Congress leader.
The farmers who constitute the major vote bank for the political parties, have exhibited their anger against the DF government for turning a Nelson’s eye toward their problems arising due to severe drought experienced this year.
Another issue which gave the opposition an opportunity to attack the government was the rising debt condition of the state which has now reached the figure of Indian rupees 900,000 million. Despite the huge debts the government had a spendthrift attitude by allowing ministers and bureaucrats to travel abroad.
However, the major issue which has eroded the popularity of the DF government is the vast corruption prevailing in government corridors, particularly in the home department, where millions of rupees change hands in the postings and transfers of police officials right from the rank of constable to director general, alleged a key police official in Bombay. Shedding light on the corruption in the police, a source said that bidding is done for getting posted in a lucrative post. The source revealed how a high police official of the rank of inspector general paid a huge amount of rupees 12 million to bag a post in a place next to Bombay pipping another bidder who lost as he fell short by rupees one million.
Allegations of vast corruption is aimed and attributed at Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP who is also the home minister. An NCP leader told Arab News that the home minister cannot permit the high volume of corruption in the department without the approval of NCP President Shard Pawar. “After all our party needs money, and where will the money come from if there is no corruption ? “ the leader asked
The DF government is also facing flak from all-around for the involvement of several politicians including some from the ruling coalition in the rupees 120,000 million fake stamp scam, in which the Special Investigating Team, headquartered in Pune, had so far arrested 58 persons, including two sitting legislators from Dhule in Maharashtra and another from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, and five senior police officials from the Crime Branch in Bombay.
