The Mastermind

He is the urbane face of the Shiv Sena. When the suave and mild-mannered Suresh Prabhu is not masterminding policy decisions for the Shiv Sena, he is busy giving lectures on how to manage politicians.

Considered one of the brightest brains in the party, Suresh Prabhu flits between Delhi and Mumbai. Readers may recall that he was the Sena candidate who later became the industry minister in Atal Behari Vajpayees short-lived government. Politics has always been a passion for the 42-year-old Prabhu, but he has never lobbied with a political party for an election ticket. When Thackeray offered him a Sena seat from the Rajapur constituency for the Lok Sabha elections, it was an offer he couldnt refuse. At that time, he was the chairman of the Saraswat Cooperative Bank, a role he relinquished before he plunged into politics.

 

In fact, in 1986, Prabhu was one of the youngest directors of Saraswat Bank and his association with the Sena began during his banking days. Saraswat Bank financed the revamp and renovation of the Senas mouthpiece