Front Page
“We are 162” — the rallying cry in Maharashtra makes the front pages today with a photograph of the `162’ MLAs the stand out image on the page. Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena held a show of strength in a city hotel, a day before the Supreme Court is set to announce its order on holding a floor test in the assembly.
And a very angry SC scolded the Union and state governments, again, for the hazardous levels of air pollution in the NCR.
SC on air pollution: “Delhi worse than hell, people living in a gas chamber: SC’’ (Times of India), “‘Why not kill everyone’: Fuming SC slams govts’’ (Hindustan Times) indicate SC’s annoyance.
“The Supreme Court said on Monday that the city was not liveable and had become worse than ‘narak’ (hell) with people dying of various ailments due to pollution,” writes TOI. HT reports that a “fuming SC” slammed the governments and said their “inability to tackle the problem had turned India into a laughing stock”.
Maharashtra political ‘conundrum’: HT calls the show of strength a “Maha power parade”; The Indian Express puns on the floor test with “We are 162: Show of strength by Opp alliance — on floor of a Mumbai hotel” and The Times of India quotes NCP chief Sharad Pawar in its headlines, “This is not Goa, says Pawar as Aghadi parades ‘162 MLAs’”. ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ is the name of the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance. The Hindu focuses on the Supreme Court verdict with “SC rule on Maharashtra floor test today”.
The Telegraph, in its characteristic manner, is having an ironic laugh at the impending ruling on Constitution Day — “Ha Ha, yes it’s constitution day today! With the pillars of democracy taking their time… Hyatt bears the load”.
The Aghadi legislators “raised their arms and took a pledge to be loyal to the newly minted alliance and not be swayed by attempts to break them”, reports TOI. The leaders of the three parties “went to Raj Bhavan Monday morning and submitted a letter” to Governor B.S. Koshyari with the 162 MLAs, “claiming they had the required numbers to form a government in Maharashtra”, adds Express.
Subhash Chandra quits Zee: In the pink papers: Subhash Chandra, “who ushered in the cable and satellite revolution in India with Zee TV” stepped down as chairman of the company’s board, reports Business Standard. “The resignation comes days after Chandra’s family saw its stake in ZEE fall to 5% following a series of mistimed and expensive infrastructure bets,” adds Economic Times.
Mamata’s counter on NRC: After Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that a nationwide NRC would be implemented, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced “that attempts would be made to regularise all refugee colonies up to three acres… and those living in these colonies would be given land rights,” reports Express.
Others: There may be little good news on the economy but there is some for the stock market as “Sensex soars close to 41,000”, reports HT and adds that the “markets hit new milestones on Monday with Sensex registering new intra-day and closing highs, tracking global markets”.
Prime Minister Narnedra Modi is back on the front page after a long time, albeit only in HT. The paper carries a report on Modi’s rally in Jharkhand where he blamed Congress for the delay in Ayodhya verdict.
Express also carries a panel report on JNU. The University Grants Commission agreed to release funds to JNU to help “the institution tide over the funds crunch that led to substantial hike in the hostel fee”.
Opinion
Hindustan Times: Maharashtra Governor B.S. Koshyari Saturday administered the oath of office to BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister along with NCP’s Ajit Pawar as deputy CM when the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena were close to finalising a power-sharing agreement to stake claims on the government. Both sides had contending narratives which were presented in the Supreme Court Sunday and Monday.
HT says that the Governor’s actions create room for doubt and the court should have directed a floor test on itself Sunday and must order one at the earliest. Any delay will further delegitimise the constitutional process. If Fadnavis and Pawar lose the floor test, then the governor must make amends and provide the Opposition a chance to prove its strength immediately.
The Indian Express: Last week, the Union cabinet approved the Labour Code on Industrial Relations, 2019 which will allow companies to hire workers on fixed term contracts across sectors. This is the first in Modi government’s project of amalgamating 44 national labour laws into four codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and welfare and occupational safety, aside from health and working conditions. The main challenge will be to get the codes approved in the Parliament and then persuade states to implement them. Even a quarter century after the opening up of the Indian economy, labour reforms have been the ‘missing piece’, which has adversely impacted the manufacturing sector. The 2019 Economic Survey showed that states with more flexible labour markets were significantly more productive. Greater flexibility in labour laws will help create more jobs for the 10 million young people who enter the labour market annually.
Prime Time
Guess the main news point of the day, throughout the day and at prime time?
Maharashtra.
And the image of the day? The `162 MLAs’ taking a pledge of allegiance during a “parade” as news channels called it at the Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai.
“Abki baar Hotel Sarkar” said Times Now. “We R 162”, declared India Today; CNN News18 asked on “#MahaPoliticalYudh” — Can the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena claim moral victory?’’
India Today debated #MaharashtraCrisis: “Fear of Modi-Shah compelled leaders to gather under a roof?”
And, Times Now focussed on “#AjitCleanChitConfusion” following the Maharashtra ACB’s dismissal of nine cases against him.
Republic TV: However, anchor Arnab Goswami had other concerns on his mind. He demanded that “#MamataMustExplain” the abuse of BJP Bengal vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar who was kicked and physically assaulted, allegedly by TMC party members.
BJP’s G.V.L. Narasimha Rao alleged that Banerjee wasn’t running a political party, but a “party of thugs”. “The people will throw her party into the Bay of Bengal,” he said.
Political analyst Mohammed Touseef Rehman said, “I condemn this act but…”
Goswami cut him short: “Why do you condemn today’s act? This is standard practice… I want to make you uncomfortable – what’s going on? You have to say why you condemn today’s act….Don’t be a damn coward, Touseef! Don’t run away from my question.”
Rehman was understandably confounded.
NDTV 24×7: On “Reality Check”, Nidhi Razdan led the debate on “The Maharashtra MLAs Parade: Alliance’s Show Of Strength”.
Congress’ Pawan Khera said, “Mr Modi and Shah’s party is scared of a floor test… The entire country has watched today, the visuals (162 MLAs) are coming on your channel right now. I am sure Mr. Amit Shah has also seen these visuals…”
BJP spokesperson Asif Bhamla hit back: “In Kashmir when telephone lines or WiFi connections are off, you make a big story about it. Now you have kept your MLAs like slaves… Why are you so scared?”
Aaj Tak: Which Pawar will rule in Maharashtra, asked anchor Rohit Sardana. He also wondered why the Shiv Sena wanted to show its strength of MLAs to the media.
Congress supporter Acharya Pramod Krishnam said because the media is “democracy’s fourth pillar”.
BJP’s Nalin Kohli justified his party’s move to quickly form the government: “Every party was invited by the Governor…but this ‘drama’ was stretching too far… Now let the floor test happen…”
India TV: “Sawal ye nahi kiske paas maa hai, par kiske pas MLAs ki haan hai… (The question isn’t who has a mother. The question is, who has the MLAs?)” declared Sushant Sinha, Bollywood style.
BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia called the NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress alliance a “maha-thug-bandhan”. He also insisted that the BJP-Ajit Pawar combine had the numbers.
Senior journalist Harshvardhan Tripathi said Ajit Pawar has grown up learning the tactics of politics from his uncle Sharad Pawar, “so the chances are bleak that he will come up with anything new…”