Saamana, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece periodical used by the party to popularize core ideological belief, has got a new editor, and it is not Sanjay Raut who bagged the post. Instead, Rashmi Thackeray- wife of incumbent CM of Maharashtra- has been named new editor and Sanjay Raut will continue to be executive editor.
Uddhav Thackeray stepped down from the post of chief editor after taking oath as the CM of the state, and the opinion in political circles was that Sanjay Raut, the Rajya Sabha and long time Thackeray family loyalist who played key role in crafting the tri-party alliance will be appointed as chief editor, as he already enjoys the post of executive editor since long. However, Uddhav Thackeray continued with the tradition of keeping in within the family and appointed wife as chief editor.
Bal Thackeray was the founding editor of the newspaper since January 1989 till his death 2012, after which Uddhav Thackeray took over the role. Sanjay Raut has been executive editor since the time of Bal Thackeray and it was expected that he will be promoted to Chief editor after Uddhav Thackeray stepped down. But the appointment of Rashmi Thackeray comes as big disappointment to Raut who was eyeing for the much-coveted post.
Previously various media outlets have reported that Rashmi Thackeray is taking a very active interest in day to day functioning of the party. She regularly holds meetings with female party workers, and discusses the party issues. As per reports, it was Rashmi Thackeray’s idea put half-term chief ministership as the condition of the alliance to BJP. She wanted her son Aditya Thackeray to become the youngest CM of the state. However, after the alliance between both parties broke, she and Raut aggressively pitched for alliance with NCP and Congress, despite hesitation on Uddhav Thackeray’s end.
Moreover, it was also reported that Amit Shah was ready to talk to Thackeray family about alliance and solve the issues, but, when he came to know that Rashmi Thackeray would be one of the negotiators from Thackeray family, he put off the idea.
Rashmi Thackeray played instrumental role in not just crafting the alliance with ‘secular’ parties, but she is also responsible for breaking of the alliance with BJP. As Uddhav Thackeray is not a very political person and not a typical power-hungry politician, it is very much possible that Mrs Thackeray is running a kitchen cabinet.
Like a shrewd politician, she cut down Sanjay Raut to size and positioned herself as number two in the party. Given the fact Uddhav Thackeray is busy in looking at whatever government affairs understand, Rashmi will be actually running the party. And she had made it very clear to the people as well as other party leaders through her appointment as the chief editor of Saamana- the position once held by Bal Thackeray himself and later by Uddhav Thackeray.
Sanjay Raut, the family loyalist, is the person who comes out as a real loser in the whole political horizon. First his brother was put out of cabinet despite his best efforts, later he was snubbed by the party for remarks against Indira Gandhi and the Thackeray family disowned his statements, and now he has been kept away from the chief editor post too. Raut crafted the tri-party alliance in the hope that he will be number two in the party and the government, but, the position of number two in the government is now being enjoyed by Ajit Pawar and in the party by Rashmi Thackeray.
