Maharashtra parties jittery over CM KCR’s visit

Maharashtra govt yet to give nod to BRS to shower rose petals on warkaris

Hyderabad: In a sign of its uneasiness over Bharat Rashtra Samithi Party President K Chandrashekhar Rao’s visit to Maharashtra, the BJP-Shiva Sena government appears to be caught in two minds over whether to accord permission to the BRS to shower rose petals from helicopters on warkaris during the culmination of the prominent pilgrimage at Pandharpur on Tuesday. Though BRS leaders gave their request well in advance, the police are learnt to have not responded till late on Monday night and could deny permission, according to party sources.

Every year, the warkaris embark on a month-long pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Devotees from rural and urban areas of Maharashtra travel hundreds of miles, fervently chanting the hymns of Lord Vitthal. This year, the pilgrimage will reach its culmination on June 29, during the auspicious occasion of Ashada Ekadashi. The temple witnesses a staggering number of over 10 lakh warkaris during this period.

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On this auspicious occasion, BRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, accompanied by ministers and other leaders, is scheduled to visit the temple and perform a special puja for Lord Vitthal. As a gesture of respect towards the warkaris, the BRS leadership had made arrangements to shower around 1,000 kg of rose petals on them, employing three helicopters. However, the necessary approvals were not granted even late on Monday night.

The BRS has gradually establishing a foothold in Maharashtra ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party’s rallies in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra have drawn significant crowds, causing concern among other political parties in the State. To consolidate its position, the BRS has undertaken an extensive outreach plan, sparing no effort in connecting with the locals, particularly farmers.

Recently, Chandrashekhar Rao inaugurated the BRS office and held a public rally at Nagpur, the headquarters of RSS. The BRS is also planning to establish more offices at Aurangabad, Pune and Mumbai, as part of its expansion plans.

Responding to the BRS tour in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that anyone who desires to visit the Pandharpur temple to worship Lord Vitthal is welcome. “If the Telangana Chief Minister and his Cabinet Ministers are coming as pilgrims to Pandharpur to seek darshan, we welcome them. Our only concern is that there should be no politics when you undertake pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Anybody who comes here, should be a devotee,” he told mediapersons, in a veiled message about the BJP’s opinion on the BRS’s presence in Maharashtra.