Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party is riddled with factional feuds, much more serious than what was anticipated earlier by political opponents as well as by the members of the BJP headquarters in Delhi. Trouble began brewing in Delhi after a year’s rule by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as charges began flying against prominent BJP ministers. In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had no such luxury as within six months; a couple of his ministers also found themselves embroiled in all sorts of controversies.
The state BJP, which is busy in handling tantrums thrown by its alliance partner Shiv Sena, has not equipped itself to deal with charges leveled against its senior ministers with considerable political weightage. The party was further appalled to see and listen to a sting operation carried out on one of its flamboyant Mumbai MLA and former Minister Raj Purohit.
In fact, despite being aware of the possibility of such sting operations against his cabinet colleagues, Modi is asking all his cabinet colleagues and party MPs almost every month, to take proper care against such possibilities of sting operations where the ministers or party MPs, oblivious of these, express their views without any qualms or care. All his advice seems to have gone down the drain as many BJP MPs in Delhi as well as other state capitals are opening their mouths, talking out in turns and making life miserable for floor managers of the party. The atmosphere is so surcharged that leaders have become scared and sceptical about almost everybody they come across leading to an atmosphere of suspicion and fear. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis began his tenure by creating a core group of ministers including Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde and Sudhir Mungantiwar. However, he has now realized that most of those who were supposed to help him in running the state administration are themselves embroiled in one or the other controversy.
BJP MLA Raj Purohit, who was obviously annoyed as he was kept out of the ministry, has struck the last nail with his diatribe, not only against the state leadership, but also about the PM and the party president Amit Shah. His observation about MNS leader Raj Thackeray immediately evoked strong protests, with MNS workers attacking his office.
The party has already sought explanation from Raj Purohit for his wild remarks that defamed not just the party but its leadership as well. His remarks were off the cuff which led to strong reactions from within the party. He alleged that the RSS was being handled by BJP builder-legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha. Purohit has cried foul and alleged that the video was fabricated and that he had said no such things as attributed to him. The party may bury the issue in due course of time after Purohit submits his explanation but the damage has already been done. Purohit, a five term member of the state legislative assembly, is the chief whip of the party in the state legislative assembly. The BJP was always apprehensive about such sting operations as the party would be better off without the bad media at this crucial juncture.
The ‘Purohit bombshell’ hit the party while it was busy controlling the damage done by the controversy over Education Minister Vinod Tawde’s degree certificate. Tawde, however, did claim that he had neither provided any wrong information nor had he hidden any information from the election authorities.
One of the senior most ministers, Eknath Khadse, who was aspiring for the top post, has also been dragged into controversies for his lenient views about some of the opposition leaders. Late Gopinath Munde’s daughter, Child Development Minister, Pankaja Munde, has not shied away from revealing her ambitions for the top post. She also finds herself embroiled in the multi-crore rate contract controversy. Chief Minister Fadnavis has accepted her explanation that the contractors lobby was behind such allegations against her since she had tried to give work to NGOs instead of giving it to professional companies. What is more intriguing is the allegation that her cousin Dhananjay Munde, leader of the opposition in the State Legislative Council, is behind the Rs 206-crore Chikki scam exposure. The scam now has a family angle to it if this allegation is true.
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray has also taken a potshot at the BJP by saying that it is for the Chief Minister to decide what stand the government should take regarding the Chikki scam. The Sena is not very happy with the BJP ignoring ministers of state from the Shiv Sena quota and hence would like to use the vulnerable position of the BJP to press further for its demands on various issues.
The opposition parties are more than happy over the happenings in the ruling party and the possibility of further fights within the warring groups. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar made a tongue in cheek remark, “I never expected bad days will come so soon for the BJP”. The leader of the opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, is all set to add fuel to the already raging fire with his claims that he has collected video tapes involving three senior ministers to prove that they are involved in wheeling and dealing. He has threatened to expose corruption cases during the coming monsoon session of the state legislature. The state BJP needs to do some introspection over the changing situation in the state. Those working against the Chief Minister have been using the controversies in the state as a tool to complain that there is no strong leadership in the state to keep things under control. While the BJP headquarters in Delhi is busy trying to tackle the growing demand for resignation by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia for her links with Lalit Modi and other controversies, it is not very happy to deal with smaller scams emerging out in Maharashtra.
This, however, is not new in power politics. Some of the NCP ministers under probe have claimed in private that their political rivals were provided information by none other than then Congress Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. Those close to former NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is now facing ACB investigation, claim that basic information was provided by CM’s office to BJP rabble-rouser, Kirit Somaiya. Similarly, the files related to the irrigation department were made available to the opposition who launched a spirited attack against former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and NCP state President Sunil Tatkare.
Those under attack now from the opposition quarter claim that the opposition is getting information due to factional feuds within the state BJP. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP Chief Raosaheb Danve will have to take extra efforts to ensure the smooth functioning of the party in the state and clear the spate of allegations against its ministers.
