Mumbai:
Talk of a rift in Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti – between the BJP and the Shiv Sena group led by Eknath Shinde – gathered more steam Monday after the latter’s Ganesh Naik announced plans for a second ‘janta darbar‘, or townhall, later today in Thane, the latter’s stronghold.
Posters and large hoardings were put up around the city for an event viewed as a direct challenge to Eknath Shinde’s authority in the district – for which he is also the ‘guardian minister’.
Mr Naik – who held a ‘darbar‘ in Vashi in Navi Mumbai, also in Thane, on February 3 – played down the political significance of his event, insisting the only goal was to resolve people’s concerns.
Naresh Mhaske, the Thane Lok Sabha MP – from Mr Shinde’s Sena – seemed equally sanguine, telling reporters, “Why should we object when people meet their political leaders?”
The row over the Thane townhall is also significant because the rivalry between Mr Naik and Mr Shinde goes back several years – to a time when the latter was still with the undivided Shiv Sena (with Uddhav Thackeray as his boss) and the former was with the undivided NCP, led by Sharad Pawar
The two jostled for influence over Thane and Navi Mumbai.
Now, though, at least on paper, they are on the same side.
‘Do Not Take Me Lightly’: E Shinde
But beneath the surface there is disquiet, an unease that seemed to explode last week with Mr Shinde warning critics and rivals, twice, “do not take me lightly”. The Deputy Chief Minister also offered a reminder of his role in the BJP bringing down Uddhav Thackeray’s government in 2022.
READ | “In 2022 I Changed Government…”: E Shinde As Mahayuti Wobbles
“Those who have to understand must take the hint. I will continue to do my work,” Mr Shinde – who last year sulked after being told to step down as Chief Minister, in favour of his predecessor, the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis – had said when reporters asked for the target of his warning.
The tension between Mr Shinde’s Sena and the BJP has never really gone away since the two squabbled over the Chief Minister’s post – a post the former felt was due to him because voters had responded well to his governance and administration – last year.
Mahayuti Wobbling?
They flared up, for example, over the withdrawal, or downgrading, of ‘Y’ category security cover for 55 Shinde Sena MPs and MLAs. Sources told NDTV this was after a routine evaluation of security threats against each individual, but the Shinde Sena viewed this as a snub.
READ | Maharashtra Ruling Alliance Rift Widens? Latest Flashpoint Is…
There was also friction over a raft of appointments, including ‘guardian ministers’ for the Raigad and Nashik (a significant post, since it will hold the next Kumbh Mela, in 2027) districts.
READ | E Shinde’s Absence From Events Adds To Maharashtra Coalition Rift Buzz
And now there is another potential flashpoint – allegations of irregularities in deciding MSP, or minimum support price, for farmers by the previous government, which was led by Mr Shinde.
Specifically, the Fadnavis government claims malpractice – i.e., ‘demands for money by state-level nodal agencies tasked with crop procurement at MSP’ – by Shinde Sena leader Abdul Sattar, who led the Marketing Ministry in the earlier government.
Mr Fadnavis has ordered an inquiry, but this has not been gone down well in Mr Shinde’s camp.
BJP Still In Control
Any disquiet, or even discord, between the Shinde Sena and the BJP is not likely to affect the stability of Mr Fadnavis’ government. The BJP has 132 seats in the Assembly and the NCP faction led by the state’s second Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, has 41.
That gives the saffron party a 28-seat buffer over the majority mark even with Mr Shinde’s 57 MLAs, meaning the Sena boss may not have quite the direct influence he would like.
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
