Third Eye: Showing what 'hands-on leadership' is, minister’s helicopter hack & an attempt to return to political relevance

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is known for being hands-on, but at a recent statue unveiling in Malegaon, he took that quite literally. As directors of a sugar cooperative jostled to get into a photo with him while unveiling a plaque for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue, Pawar began physically pushing people aside to clear the frame. Even those being nudged couldn't help but laugh at his direct approach.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta couldn’t attend a programme after their helicopter developed a technical snag. BJP minister Girish Mahajan, while narrating how they tried their level best to ensure the couple’s presence, lightened the mood with a joke. In jest, he said he even suggested they push the helicopter to get it to fly—just like one might do with acar that refuses to start.

During the AICC session in Ahmedabad, Congress banners flooded the city, but none stood out quite like those of Bharatsinh Solanki. The former Union Minister, sidelined after a controversy involving his estranged wife, plastered his image on most banners—sometimes solo, sometimes sharing space with relative and LoP Amit Chavda—signalling an eager attempt to return to political relevance