As the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray pledged oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra yesterday, the party’s mouthpiece Saamna dropped his name as editor. Sena’s leader and MP Sanjay Raut remains the executive editor of the Marathi paper.
Sanjay Raut has been with the editorial team of Saamna from the time of Sena founder Bal Thackeray was the editor. The paper’s masthead still reads Bal Thackeray as the founding editor, Uddhav’s name was presented as the editor in the print line until yesterday.
Sena leaders said that the decision to drop Uddhav’s name was taken because he has now taken the post of the state’s CM. “This is our internal matter. He is now the chief minister. Some conventions have to be followed,” Raut told media persons when asked why Uddhav’s name was dropped as editor.
The paper carried an editorial piece on Thursday titled ‘Maharashtra Dharma is Comprehensive’ on its front page. Tagged as “Sanjay Uvach (Sanjay says)”, the piece read “Chhatrapati Shivaji’s kingdom came from that Maharashtra Dharma. It was everyone’s kingdom. Uddhav Thackeray’s new rule will adhere to the same Maharashtra Dharma. Those who were asking how this government will come to power should check the essence of Maharashtra Dharma.”
The paper will now feature Raut’s opinion in the editorial pieces and not Uddhav’s, however, it is still not clear if the name ‘Sanjay Uvach’ will be a daily feature of the mouthpiece.
The editorial commented on the government formation agenda and said, “This government has not been formed on the basis of national issues but on Maharashtra’s issues and development agenda. There are no differences between the three parties on the development agenda.”
