BOMBAY: The devastating bomb blasts have overshadowed the budget session of the Legislature beginning here on Monday. The mindboggling event has had a sobering effect on both the Opposition in the Legislature and different warring factions within the ruling Congress Legislature Party (CLP).

The Opposition led by the BJP Sena combine has set aside its partisan politics and offered unreserved cooperation to the beleaguered Sharad Pawar Government to help it concentrate all its energies on nailing the perpetrators of the bomb explosion here on March 12. The anti Pawar faction in the CLP led by former chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik was earlier in a mood to embarrass Mr Pawar on various issues in the House by using certain Opposition members as proxies for their cold war with the Chief Minister. However, the Bombay blast has made them realizes that any such move would not only embarrass the party top brass but would also evoke sharp reactions from public. The Pawar detractors in the CLP are therefore sure to lie low at least till the impact of the crisis caused by the explosions tapers off.

This has suited Mr Pawar fine since he can afford to pay perfunctory attention to House proceedings and, instead, concentrate on remedial measures warranted by the Friday’s disaster, which has put his administrative skills to.an acid test.

However, despite the Opposition’s sombre mood, Mr Pawar is believed to be wary of how the Shiv Sena’s volatile chief Bal Thackeray conducts himself on the political scene in the coming few weeks. For, the Chief Minister’s obvious worry is the possibility of a communal backlash of the Friday’s mayhem in the wake of current speculations about the January riots in Bombay haying a direct bearing over the recent bomb blasts here. A relatively. Minor but ominous incident of a communal clash in sensitive Mahim area on Friday after the explosions has apparently heightened his worries on this count. Mr Thackeray has reacted with uncharacteristic restrain so far. But” no one neither Mr Pawar nor any of Sena supermom’s own close confidants in his party is quite sure~ how long Mr Thackeray will remain in this subdued mood. Unlike: Union Home Minister S.B Chavan, who keeps talking of banning the” Sena, Mr Pawar cannot afford to indulge in any adventurous course” Vis a Vis Mr Thackeray.

PAWARUSESHEAD: While his hands are full with the aftermath’ of the bomb explosions, the Chief Minister can hardly afford to have) another major problem by taking” on the Sena chief when the Assembly session is on. Mr Pawar is’ therefore believed to be using his” personal contacts in the Sena and some backdoor diplomacy to ensure that Mr Thackeray Stays” within the “safe” limits.

Aware of strong public sentiments caused by the explosions’ Mr Pawar Is believed to have ad— vised State Governor PLC Alexander to give reflection of the: Government’s concern over the latest crisis in his address to the joint sitting of both the Houses on Monday.

Mr Pawar has acceded to the Opposition’s demand for a full-fledged debate in the House on the situation caused by the bomb blasts; He gave this assurance to the senior Opposition members, led by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Mr Gopinath Mund: when they met him at a customary tete at Mr Pawar’s official residence Varsha here.

Article extracted from this publication >>    March 26, 1993