Permanent member of my morning routine!. Review on Maharashtra Times

I have to confess that I can't fathom not having Maharashtratimes a single day. I have to read it everyday! It is sort of an addiction. I am a 'bit' right-wing sort. Not a biased against the leftist or Samajwadis but sometimes just hate the narrow mind & approach the media takes towards the valid issues that right-wing pose.

Maharashtratimes has been traditionally the class leader & probl'y the best selling Marathi daily of all times. It has improved a lot in the last year. Specifically after Kumar Ketkar left! :)) The daily has seen vastly improved sales everywhere in Maharashtratimes. Almost every section & column in this daily is worth reading. The supplement Pune or Mumbai times is also of a very good quality.

Political Front: I always thought & they always gave me enough evidence that Mata was pro-left & may times pro-Pawar. Prakash Akolkar is highly Pro-Pawar. I think they have got some flats or so from the Mukhyamantri-Quota & maybe that's the reason of their loyalty to Pawar. Many childish Pawar statements get a lot of attention & they hardly criticize his missteps etc. Also NEVER seen these papers writing anything against the Sugar-lobby of West. Maharashtra. As the politics is the MAJOR section of this newspaper it needs appropriate scrutiny. Prakash Alolkar moves around with Pawar on his election campaign & writes how great his 10,000 crowd gathering been against the 1 lack rallies of Sena Supremo.

Mata never gave or gives due credit to Shiv-Sena or Balasaheb for that matter. These guys are always on to take some minor issue & make a hell out of it if it is Sena. If it is Rashtrawadi or Congress then they don't find it newsworthy. I guess several years of Satta has enabled the likes of Pawar to just buy-out (not that directly) the press by indirect favors. These people never bring to notice that ShivSena NEVER gives value to religion or caste while choosing candidates. It is strictly based on if you have done anything for the part no matter what religion/caste you come from.

No offense but Kumar Ketkar used to drive me nuts with his totally skewed political opinions! He along with Loksatta'a Arun Tikekar (he is at lokmat now) were running a feud against the Sena-BJP Govt & used to write so titled editorials that made me scratch my head in disbelief. But still couldn't give us dear Mata.

Suresh Bhatewara is one more guy who is totally pro-Gandhi pariwar. He amazes himself in Rahul driving his own qualis or likes to drive fast like his father...bullxxxx...even I to drive bikes/cars fast..that doesn't make me a good rular!! ??? :)) He is Delhi correspondent of Mata & always writes about how adwani is planning to be PM by dropping Wajpayee etc etc etc. He was recently sent to Pak for the series & was disappointed that after Atal Bihari Pakistani people were asking him questions about teh Sena Supremo! These guys will never change, he will keep writing pro-Gandhi family articles for entirety of his life.

Sports section is very good for compared to any Marathi newspaper & can beat any English daily for that matter. Many experts are employed temp to report about current events. All sports get enough coverage & is a good read for any age group.

Apart from their evident political bias or a little too pro-congress attitude there is not much to take a fault with this daily. I am so used to this pare that I sued to wait anxiously when it gets updated in Internet when I was in USA. I used to read it before it used to get published in India! :) I wrote several feedback e-mails to them that were printed too! :) They do print emails/letters that criticize their articles or overall policy.

I rate this daily very highly. I just wish they do an even-handed reporting of both the Sena & Congress.