Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeEditorialSena-BJP faced each other over distribution of power

Sena-BJP faced each other over distribution of power

- Advertisement -

Amid of tussle between Shiv Sena and BJP, six Shiv Sena ministers attended a meeting called by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the farm crisis. Formula for government formation was discussed in that meeting where Shiv Sena is still stuck to 50-50 formula. Battling allies BJP and Shiv Sena met for the first time after assembly election results, with just two days left to the deadline for government formation in Maharashtra. There were speculations that NCP might support Sena in formation of government, but Sharad Pawar told media refuting the support that the two should act fast and form government together instead of plunging the state into a constitutional crisis. Sena ministers present at the meeting included Eknath Shinde and Ramdas Kadam. You cannot separate water, no matter how much you try to. Shiv Sena and BJP are together… We should wait for the news; the good news can come anytime proclaimed BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar after the meeting. Hours later, BJP ministers met at the Chief Minister’s home to discuss how to divide portfolios with the Sena, which has demanded an equal share in power including a turn at the Chief Minister’s post by rotation. Despite the BJP-Sena alliance winning a clear majority together, the Sena’s demand for a shot at the chief minister’s post and the BJP’s refusal to accept it has blocked government formation in one of India’s largest states.

The BJP-Sena are allies for over 25 years. In present scenario, BJP-Shiv Sena government was the only viable option in Maharashtra. Where as Sanjay Raut, already declared in media that he has 170 numbers to show and form government.

Pawar’s comments were seen to clamp a lid on talk of a political reconfiguration in Maharashtra, with the Sena dumping the BJP and getting together with rivals NCP and the Congress. Congress president Sonia Gandhi reportedly told Pawar that her party would not support the Sena. In the middle of the churnings, a top Sonia Gandhi aide and Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel met Union Minister and a senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. Meanwhile, soon after Pawar’s discussions with Raut, Sena ministers joined a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other ministers on crop damage in Maharashtra. May be Pawar is mediating to patch the equations. To a question on Raut’s claim that the Sena has the support of 170 members, more than the majority mark of 145 in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, Pawar made it clear that the calculation did not include his party and the Congress.

Since BJP alone cannot form the government, Sena is trying to take advantage of the situation and demanding 2.5 years CM position. BJP is not ready to accept this. If both do not settle the differences, there cannot be a stable government in Maharashtra or even it may lead to the governor’s rule. There is also a possibility of many Sena MLAs defecting to support BJP. So, right now stretching too much is not in favour of Sena, where as Devendra is already a sitting CM and doing his best.

Congress-NCP turned out Shiv Sena, otherwise this alliance was much stronger and enjoyed governance for many consecutive terms. Shiv Sena even then was the major party in Maharashtra but missed out on the required majority since it didn’t have any alliance, similar to what happened with BJP in Haryana but with a stark difference in the number of seats. After the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and more importantly popularity of Modi, BJP-Shiv Sena won the election in 2014 quite dominantly that too BJP winning more seats than Sena, even then Sena felt that they deserve the equal power in the governance since they are the local party and understand the people and their expectations better. BJP is considered as a party that originates from outside Maharashtra. That is the main reason why Shiv Sena claimed for the post of CM now and in 2014. Now, let’s look at this issue from both i.e. Shiv Sena and BJP’s angle separately.

Sena has always kept “ Maharashtra Madhe Marathi pahile..” and “ Hindavi Swaraj Ram Rajya..” narrative which was completely opposite of the Muslim and other minority appeasement of Congress-NCP alliance. Shiv Sena ideologies are somewhat similar to BJP’s and that is why the Sena supporters accepted the alliance calmly in the first place. In 2014, Shiv Sena was denied equal power in government which lead to a lot of petty politics weakening the alliance but both parties needed each other to form a government, hence the bonds grew stronger again in the face of 2019 elections. This time Shiv Sena had two options, either continue with the Sena- BJP alliance and somehow convince BJP to agree on a Sena CM or to break the alliance and join hands with Congress-NCP to make sure that Aaditya Thackeray or someone else from Sena becomes the CM, but giving up on a lot of loyal voters in the process since while doing this they would have betrayed their own ideology and the very reason for the support they get. In both cases, Shiv Sena would be ruling until 2024. BJP on the other hand, after 2014 has been the most dominant party in Maharashtra and no one comes close to it except Shiv Sena. BJP wants to maintain its government in the state. And for that they need the alliance with Shiv Sena. But since BJP has won more seats in the election, they don’t want to give up on the post of CM either (same reason why Devendra Fadnavis became CM in 2014) and quite frankly that’s fair according to me.


(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Help Parallel Media, Support Journalism, Free Press, Afternoon Voice

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
Vaidehi Taman
Vaidehi Tamanhttps://authorvaidehi.com
Vaidehi Taman an Accredited Journalist from Maharashtra is bestowed with three Honourary Doctorate in Journalism. Vaidehi has been an active journalist for the past 21 years, and is also the founding editor of an English daily tabloid – Afternoon Voice, a Marathi web portal – Mumbai Manoos, and The Democracy digital video news portal is her brain child. Vaidehi has three books in her name, "Sikhism vs Sickism", "Life Beyond Complications" and "Vedanti". She is an EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker, OSCP offensive securities, Certified Security Analyst and Licensed Penetration Tester that caters to her freelance jobs.
- Advertisement -

Latest

Must Read

- Advertisement -

Related News