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HomePoliticsThe Devendra Fadnavis-Uddhav Thackeray friendship that never really was

The Devendra Fadnavis-Uddhav Thackeray friendship that never really was

Jaitapur, Aarey or Mumbai nightlife — the relationship between Fadnavis’ BJP and Uddhav’s Sena has been edgy, frosty and patchy.

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Mumbai: At a press conference on 9 November, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had called Devendra Fadnavis a “liar”. For those assembled in the room, it was a mere syllable. But for Thackeray, the word summed up five years of anger and frustration at being pushed into a side role in the power-sharing game.

In the five years from 2014, the Shiv Sena had seethed and fumed but that did not seem to have any impact on Fadnavis. Flush from the victory of winning 122 of Maharashtra’s 288 assembly seats in the Lok Sabha elections that year, Fadnavis, in his first stint as chief minister, “forgot the dharma of coalition politics”. He didn’t seem to take into account that the Shiv Sena’s 63 seats were needed to make up the power tally and put him in the chief minister’s chair.

“Fadnavis started believing that he was invincible. He became a slave of his clean image. Coalition politics is about taking along people, not cutting off people. This is something that Fadnavis forgot,” said a senior BJP leader.

As months ran by, it was observed that Fadnavis did not involve the Shiv Sena in important policy decisions. These actions were not lost on the Thackerays, and a tug of war started between them and Fadnavis. Although in the government as an ally, the Shiv Sena became Fadnavis’ biggest adversary and took on the role of the opposition in Maharashtra.


Also read: Collapse of Shiv Sena’s alliance with BJP threatens its control over cash-rich BMC


The clashes began with the Jaitapur nuclear plant project, which the Shiv Sena vehemently opposed. The 9900 MW project by French company Areva saw large-scale protests by anti-nuclear activists and the residents of Jaitapur, a coastal village in Ratnagiri. The Shiv Sena joined in and demanded that the project be shifted out of Jaitapur. The BJP ignored the demand.

Then came the proposals mooted by Aaditya Thackeray, Uddhav’s son and youth wing head of the party. He was keen on giving Mumbai a night life and had proposed the opening of roof-top restaurants, night markets and keeping shopping malls open through the night. Citing security reasons, Fadnavis kept the proposals on the backburner. The proposals were also mocked in private circles, said sources.

Aaditya also protested against felling trees to build a car-shed for the Mumbai Metro in the lush forest area of Aarey, in Mumbai’s western suburbs. He criticised the Fadnavis government for the tree-felling.

Troubled ties

Since the time the Shiv Sena entered into a political alliance with the BJP in the mid-1980s, they have always been a ‘Big Brother’ to the latter. But the BJP winning 59 seats more than the Shiv Sena in 2014 reversed that equation.

Thackeray was not given any prominence in functions of the Maharashtra government. He was initially not invited for the 2015 ground-breaking ceremony of the Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar. Later, when an invite was sent, it was found that he was not given a front-row seat next to PM Narendra Modi. Eventually, Thackeray skipped the event. Sources said Thackeray did not forget this insult.

Another point of disagreement between the allies was the importance accorded to Narayan Rane by Fadnavis. Rane is a former chief minister who quit the Shiv Sena and became a bitter critic of the Thackerays.

Rane, a regional satrap in the Konkan belt where he helped make the Shiv Sena a formidable force, embarked on a path of direct conflict with the Thackerays, allegedly covertly supported by Fadnavis. Despite the displeasure shown by the Thackerays, Rane was supported by the BJP and elected to the Rajya Sabha. His son, Nitesh was inducted into the party and is the MLA from Kankavli in the Konkan region. In the Maharashtra elections, Nitesh had contested against the official Shiv Sena candidate.

“Uddhavji felt that Fadnavis was acting against their interest. It is his arrogance which got him into direct conflict with Uddhavji,” said a Shiv Sena functionary.

The war of slogans during the assembly polls also escalated the trust deficit between Thackeray and Fadnavis. Fadnavis’ slogan, “Meech Parat Yein (I will come back)” made the Shiv Sena fume as they felt it was a challenge to Thackeray’s declaration that the next CM will be from the Shiv Sena.


Also read: Sena-Congress ‘friendship’ goes back 50 yrs — a story of helping each other grow in Mumbai


 

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Is there a connection between political power and electric power ? India consumed 13% less power this October than last October. For Maharashtra the figure is 22%, and 19% for Gujarat. The country has installed capacity of 3.6 lac megawatts, but peak demand on 7th November was 1.88 lac mw. Power plants are shutting down for want of demand. A snapshot of a comatose economy. Whether one is guided by national interest or electoral fortunes, a time to set things right.

  2. It’ll not take too long to understand that Udhav Thakare is a spoiled child like Rahul Gandhi who assumes the rights to own the world. If dynastic politics has failed elsewhere in India, there is no reason that it will prosper in Maharashtra under Udhav Thakare’s Shiv Sena control. Udhav Thakare’s Shiv Sena may degenerate faster than currently believed to prosper in association of sickularists.

  3. 2014, They fought vehemently against each other, called names, BJP teased with posters, SS called BJP bosses Aurangzeb, yet they came together. This was clear,shameless and blatant power arrangement. Though BJP had unwarranted support from NCP , they could not trust NCP. In 2014 no ethics questions were asked about mandate being against each other. This is hypocrisy of our so called political pundits. Under these circumstances the friendship was just a cover up operation only , which was there for Power. BJP insulted SS while allocating ministries, in center and state too.. If the face off time now, SS realised this is the time to re create own identity or it would be minion next polls.Therefore no point cribbing and discussing pseudo friendship.

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