Teakwood in tow, Shinde-Fadnavis to visit Ayodhya once more

The duo hopes to play Hindutva card ahead of local body elections and to counter MVA’s aggressive campaign. The teakwood will be used to build the main entrance of the temple, the door of the sanctum sanctorum and other doors in the main temple structure

Mumbai: A mere two months after they visited the under-construction Ram temple in Ayodhya, chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis are reportedly set to visit the temple town again in the first or second week of June. This time, they will hand over the consignment of teakwood sent from Chandrapur in Maharashtra to the temple management in the presence of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Teakwood in tow, Shinde-Fadnavis to visit Ayodhya once more

The proposed visit is being seen as a bid by the Shiv Sena-BJP to play the Hindutva card ahead of the local body polls, which could be held in October-November. The latter are regarded as mini assembly elections, as over 90 percent of the electorate across the state is expected to participate. Insiders from the two parties say that the Hindutva card will be useful for them to counter the aggressive campaign of the three-party Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which is in an upbeat mood following victories in a few elections in the state.

The teakwood consignment was dispatched from Chandrapur in March this year. The Vidarbha region, of which Chandrapur is a part, has a large number of teakwood plantations in the forests and surrounding areas. After carving and treatment at a factory in Hyderabad, the consignment, which measures roughly 1,855 cubic feet, will be ready to dispatch to the construction site. It will be used to build the main entrance of the temple, the door of the sanctum sanctorum and other doors in the main temple structure.

The Ayodhya tour is expected to be a large-scale shindig at which the consignment will be handed over to the temple management amid much fanfare and a pooja. “Senior ministers and leaders from both parties will attend the grand ceremony,” said a BJP leader. “The announcement of the function was done during Shinde’s two-day visit in April.”

According to political analyst Pratap Asbe, the BJP is yet again attempting a polarisation game by playing the Hindutva card. “But it will not work in Maharashtra, especially after similar games in Karnataka got them nowhere,” he said. “The ruling parties have no election plank to face the forthcoming elections so they are resorting to this.”

Asbe added that the recent row at the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik clearly showed up the intention of the ruling parties. On May 13, priests and trustees of the temple as well as local BJP leaders opposed a Muslim procession making a stop at the famous temple to make a floral offering to Lord Shiva. They alleged that it was an attempt to “hurt Hindu sentiments”.

While Fadnavis has announced an SIT to probe the incident, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday slammed the state government and BJP. “Muslims offering incense at the Trimbakeshwar temple is a century-old tradition, and no one has any business trying to break it,” he said. “It for the locals to take a decision on the matter, and outsiders should not interfere. The Hindu religion is not so weak that somebody of another religion entering a temple will corrupt it.” Thackeray wondered if anyone wanted to start riots on this and added that the police needed to ensure that there were none.

Cabinet expansion on cards

Days after the validation of the 11-month-old government by the Supreme Court, a cabinet expansion looks likely. Shinde and Fadnavis discussed the expansion with BJP national head J P Nadda during his Mumbai visit early this week. The state cabinet could induct at least 10 more members from the BJP and eight from the Shiv Sena.

Fadnavis is expected to be in Delhi over the weekend for a finance-related meeting and the inauguration of the Central Vista where more discussion will be held on the cabinet expansion. “Taking a call on the induction is not easy, as it will lead to discontent in the Shinde camp and it could cost the ruling parties dear ahead of the elections,” said a Shiv Sena leader. “The decision, therefore, is expected to take a few more weeks.”