Mumbai: With a few months left for the Maharashtra assembly elections, the tensions within the ruling Mahayuti are spilling out into the open as seen in occasional outbursts, black flag protests, and competing claims.
The three parties that make up the alliance—the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—are all trying to get the upper hand as developments over the past few weeks have demonstrated.
Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat denies any rift. “All three leaders (Shinde, Ajit Pawar and BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis) are aggressive in their own sense. And so it is not shocking if some bickering happens,” he told ThePrint.
“However, till the ticket distribution, there will be some back and forth that will happen and leaders are aware of it. And, it’s not necessary that all party leaders will be present at every function. Everyone is trying to strengthen themselves. It happens,” he added.
Shiv Sena vs BJP: Ministers spar publicly
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was in Ratnagiri for the promotion of the populist scheme, ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ (My Beloved Sister), under which eligible women in the age group of 21 to 65 years with a family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh are given Rs 1,500 per month.
While NCP leaders, like minister Aditi Tatkare, were present at the programme in Konkan, BJP leaders and workers were noticeably absent. In political circles, this is being seen as an indication that not all is well between the BJP and the Shiv Sena.
Additionally, earlier this week, Sena leader from the Konkan region Ramdas Kadam called BJP leader and PWD minister Ravindra Chavan a “useless minister” over the poor condition of the Mumbai-Goa Highway.
“After a 14-year wait, even Lord Ram’s vanvas (exile) ended, but problems on the Mumbai-Goa Highway persist. We are still deprived of good roads. Roads are pothole-ridden. PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan seems completely useless. Despite being in an alliance, I openly believe that (Deputy CM) Devendra Fadnavis should ask for Chavan’s resignation,” he said.
An angry Chavan then publicly called Kadam an “illiterate man”. “You better mind your language. I shall not tolerate such abuses from anybody. If you have the guts, come and meet me personally. Being in the alliance does not mean anyone will say anything, and I will keep listening. I shall not rest till I smash your face,” Chavan thundered.
This public altercation did not go down well with Fadnavis, who said he would discuss the situation with Shinde. “What alliance principle does Kadam adhere to while making such comments in public? He could have addressed his concerns internally with us. Nevertheless, I will look into the issues he has raised,” he told reporters.
Shiv Sena vs NCP: Rivals for CM post
The Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) are regional parties formed from breakaway factions of the original parties.
Both Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena’s Shinde are rivals for the post of CM. The competition is particularly pronounced with one’s ambition fulfilled, and the other waiting for his turn.
There has been a silent power tussle brewing between the two as Pawar, who is in charge of the finance portfolio, tries to consolidate his position as a popular and efficient senior leader with chief ministerial ambitions ahead of the assembly polls.
At an event on 13 August, with Fadnavis and Shinde in attendance, Pawar talked about how he had been left behind, while his “juniors” had gone ahead and become the CM.
The two have also been tussling over the credit for the Ladki Bahin scheme. Pawar is promoting it as “Majhi Ladki Bahin” (My beloved sister), playing up the one title that has always been associated with the Baramati MLA—‘dada’ (older brother).
On the other hand, Shinde is promoting the same scheme, but with a prefix—the ‘Mukhya Mantri (Chief Minister) Ladki Bahin Yojana’. In Shinde’s version of the scheme’s publicity material, he is the brother who will be giving a Raksha Bandhan gift to his sisters.
The cold war has allegedly reached the doors of the mantralaya—it is learnt that Pawar and Shinde are sitting on the files they get from the other for weeks. While dozens of files are pending, the ones from their two ministries—urban development (Shinde) and finance (Pawar)—are being held.
A Shiv Sena MLA close to Shinde confirmed to ThePrint that files were being stopped.
“Ajit Pawar had allocated more funds to his MLAs constituencies. And he was not giving funds to urban development and other departments under the CM, and that is why the CM didn’t sign on a few of the files from Ajit Pawar. Anyway, Ajit Pawar has this habit of unfair distribution of funds and partiality,” the MLA alleged.
BJP vs NCP: Differences over Nawab Malik
On Sunday, a group of people waved black flags at Pawar during his Jan Samman Yatra in the Junnar area of Pune district. The protesters, who were carrying BJP flags, criticised Pawar for holding an official function and “sidelining” the allies. The incident was poorly received by the NCP, and some leaders have been asking for clarifications from Fadnavis.
On the other hand, the BJP is not expected to take kindly to the presence of Anushakti Nagar NCP MLA Nawab Malik, who has been accused in a money laundering case, at these events. He is currently out on interim bail on medical grounds.
On Monday, Malik shared the dais with Ajit Pawar in Mumbai. This is despite Fadnavis’ strong opposition to the “tainted” leader being part of the Mahayuti alliance.
At the Jan Samman Yatra event in the Anushakti Nagar constituency, Pawar appointed Malik’s daughter, Sana Nawab Malik, the NCP spokesperson.
Fadnavis had written to Pawar last year, after he joined the Mahayuti government, against any plan to induct Malik, a former minister, in the alliance. Reiterating this opposition Monday, Fadnavis tersely said, “I have made my stand already clear.”
An NCP leader said they are not concerned by the situation. “Whoever has the problem with Malik sahab, it is not our problem. They can deal with it themselves.”
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)