Published On : Sat, Nov 8th, 2014

Fadnavis, Gadkari to share dais for Dr Dangre’s felicitation but protocol issue triggers hot talks

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Who will be called first to deliver the address? Devendra Fadnavis is Chief Minister and Nitin Gadkari is Union Minister and a senior BJP leader, too. Both are power-centres. The organizers find themselves in a spot over the protocol importance.

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Nagpur: Come November 9, for the first time, Devendra Fadnavis, after becoming Chief Minister of Maharashtra, will share dais with Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The occasion is felicitation of Dr Vilas Dangre, the renowned homoeopath of the region and an ideologue of RSS, on his 61st birthday. Now, a debate is raging over who among these two power-centres will get protocol importance.

The grand public felicitation ceremony of Dr Dangre has been organized at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall in Nagpur on Monday, November 9. The function will also be graced by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat apart from Chief Minister Fadnavis and Union Minister Gadkari. During the series of hot discussions over choice of Chief Minister after the handsome victory for BJP in Assembly election, both Fadnavis and Gadkari had met the RSS Chief Bhagwat. Ultimately the top post went Fadnavis leaving Gadkari sulking. The tumultuous welcome the Chief Minister Fadnavis received on his maiden visit to Nagpur ostensibly led to creation of two power-centres in the city. Clout of Fadnavis in entire Maharashtra has also peaked and the Dharampeth residence of the Chief Minister has become a power hub with all and sundry party leaders, workers and office-bearers making a beehive. On other hand, Gadkari’s Wada, once hustling and bustling with powerful activities, now wears an almost deserted look.

The fact that Gadkari is ‘seething’ was noticed when he did not turn when Devendra Fadnavis arrived in Nagpur for the first as Chief Minister. It was Fadnavis, who during his interactions with different media, had clarified that there are no differences between him and Gadkari on any issue. He further had clarified that Nagpur’s development will be done in cooperation with Gadkari.

However, now both Fadnavis and Gadkari will be sharing the dais during felicitation of Dr Dangre, an interesting debate has gripped the city. The debate has been centered on protocol importance. Who will be invited first to deliver the speech? Will he be Fadnavis or Gadkari? The organizers of the function are also in a fix over the protocol? Fadnavis is Chief Minister and Gadkari is senior party leader apart from a Union Minister. The organizers will be forced to do a balancing act.

And the balancing act will get revealed on the day of the grand function. Until then, wait and watch.