Mumbai: The constituents of the Mahayuti (grand alliance) in Maharashtra are not very far from focusing on allocation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, wherein they have declared a plan to win 45 out of 48 seats. Meanwhile, claims and counter-claims suggest an understanding between the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sean faction, which seemingly doesn’t share a positive alignment with Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, the newest entrant to the alliance.
Anticipating problems in the coming weeks, the BJP leaders are already preparing a resolution. While the party, which recently tasted victory in Congress bastions Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, is not openly talking about its plans, the Shinde group has speaking the language of compromise.
Shinde group leader and state education minister Deepak Kesarkar has said that if their candidate is dominant in a constituency, he could fight on the lotus symbol if the BJP wants, thereby fulfilling the expectations of many MPs.
Denying any question of controversy over seat allocation he indicated the implementation of the Palghar model if necessary. In Palghar, even though Rajendra Gavit belonged to the BJP, he contested as a Shiv Sena candidate and won the election. Shinde group’s Ramtek MP Kripal Tumane has also indicated readiness for a compromise, saying that changes can happen overnight in politics.
Shinde Groups Tussle With Ajit Pawar Faction
However, the Shinde group has been at loggerheads with the Ajit Pawar group over several seats, spurring the political rumour mill. NCP MLAs are said to have opposed Shinde group’s Srirang Barnes’s candidature as he had defeated Ajit PAwar’s son Partha Pawar in Maval.
Sources say the acrimony amid these staunch opponents won’t be easily reconciled, finally impacting the prospects of Mahayuti. They added that it would be hard to find a middle ground between the two factions in Raigad, Shirur, Amravati, Kolhapur, and Satara, to name a few constituencies.
Meanwhile, facing constant defections, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) has been responding by rebuilding the party, which has been marred by central agencies’ action against its key leaders Ravindra Waikar, Rajan Salvi and Anil Parab. Sources said it’s not coincidental that the Enforcement Directorate’s raids on Waikar’s premises in the Jogeshwari plot case came just a day prior to the verdict on the disqualification petitions. Salvi is also likely to be questioned at the Anti-Corruption Bureau office in Alibaug. Along with him, his brother and nephew might also attend the inquiry.
