The Shinde-Fadnavis combine which recently completed three months in office is struggling to make its mark despite its claim of taking 700-plus decisions and giving a much-needed boost to welfare and development projects. Although the combine is hogging the headlines for its attacks on the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction and on the NCP and the Congress, it has failed to project its image of playing a development league in Maharashtra.
The Shinde-Fadnavis combine cut a sorry figure last week when the Bombay High Court delivered a stinging slap and directed the BMC to issue a letter to its clerk, Rutuja Latke, accepting her resignation. This paved the way for Ms Latke to file her nomination for the Andheri East by-election as the candidate of the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena against the BJP.
Though Chief Minister Eknath Shinde preferred to remain silent after the controversy broke out, his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, denied the state government’s role in the delay in accepting Ms Latke’s resignation. However, the Thackeray-led party and the Opposition succeeded in creating the perception that the Shinde-Fadnavis government was exerting pressure on the civic body. The entire episode has shown the combine in poor light.
Earlier, the Shinde-Fadnavis combine had faced major embarrassment when the High Court allowed the Thackeray camp to hold the customary Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, which has been an annual feature of the Shiv Sena for the past 56 years. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was the architect of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, had advised Mr Shinde to avoid the face-off. Mr Shinde recently clarified that his faction of the Shiv Sena would have got Shivaji Park as the venue for its Dussehra rally had he intervened in the matter as the Chief Minister. However, the BMC’s alleged dilly-dallying over clearing the Thackeray camp’s plea had created the perception that it was yet another attempt by the Government to corner Mr Thackeray.
These two representative cases gave Mr Thackeray readymade opportunities to play the victim card and elicit public sympathy. For the Shinde-Fadnavis combine, they proved to be major embarrassments. The Government’s attempt, directly or indirectly, to target Mr Thackeray’s faction on such small issues appears to have backfired.
This has put Mr Thackeray, who may be down but not out, in the spotlight. He has dared the Shinde-Fadnavis combine to settle scores on the field instead of taking every battle to the courts. He roared that if the combine had the guts, they should come and play on the ground.
The Shinde-Fadnavis combine’s consistent attempt to corner Mr Thackeray for cozying up to the two Congress parties, thereby deviating from its Hindutva ideals, has, in fact, had the opposite effect, bringing the Maha Vikas Aghadi closer. What is more, erstwhile arch rival Communist Party of India has extended its support to the Thackeray faction in its fight against the Shinde-led Sena and the BJP.
Mr Shinde’s repeated attempt to sell the claim that he made the ‘correct’ move by exiting the Shiv Sena along with 39 others to pursue the late Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe’s Hindutva is proving insufficient to build his image as Maharashtra’s new Hindu Hruday Samrat. Although he is heading his party as Chief Leader and also the government as Chief Minister, the perception among the masses is that it is the BJP that is calling the shots. The alleged prompting by BJP ministers and Mr Fadnavis’s purported move to snatch the mike from Mr Shinde have substantiated the Opposition’s claim that Mr Shinde won’t realise what else the BJP will snatch from him tomorrow.
In the case of the BJP, which was termed by Mr Shinde himself as the ‘Maha Shakti’ (super power) behind him after he staged a coup, it proposes to spread its wings and tighten its grip on the state with Mr Shinde in the driver’s seat. As Mr Thackeray has alleged, the BJP has ‘monstrous’ ambition to achieve Mission 2022 by winning the BMC elections and also Mission 45 to win the maximum Lok Sabha seats from Maharashtra in 2024 and 170-plus seats in the state Assembly. The party has launched a booth-level outreach programme, realising that Mr Shinde’s party may not be of much help in meeting its ambitious targets.
Though Mr Shinde and his supporters have been making loud claims of being the real Shiv Sena with support across the state, it has been facing huge opposition from traditional Shiv Sainiks for ditching the party formed by Balasaheb Thackeray and joining hands with the BJP only to assume power. Except for a few former corporators, leaders and members, the Shinde-led faction has failed to create its magic in Mumbai ahead of the upcoming BMC elections and also in the rest of Maharashtra as traditional Shiv Sainiks have remained loyal to brand Thackeray.
So, the BJP is treading carefully as it is unsure of the transfer of votes from the Shinde-led party. On the other hand, Mr Shinde has no option but to ride on the BJP’s back to stay afloat.
Mr Thackeray with the new party name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the symbol of the flaming torch faces his first test in the Andheri East by-election against the BJP’s Lotus. Interestingly, despite initial claims, the Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena with the symbol of two swords and a shield failed to get the nomination and had to support the BJP nominee.
Against this backdrop, the Thackeray-led party with its allies plans to stage a comeback by exposing the ‘opportunistic’ Shinde-Fadnavis alliance. On its part, the latter proposes to apply the development-Hindutva pill to take on the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Opposition. As the festival of lights approaches, Maharashtra is guaranteed fireworks from the ruling and Opposition alliances.
Sanjay Jog is Political Editor at The Free Press Journal
