- People in the know would vouch with absolute conviction that nothing is impossible in politics. Time and again this phenomenon has proved right when inconceivable issues of today seemingly become conceivable the next day. Intangible and unfathomable machinations running along the political fault-lines are hard to comprehend as parochial considerations take precedence over everything else. This is especially true of the Indian political scenario where alliances built over the years part ways in an unceremonious manner courtesy of one-upmanship and unbridled ambitions. Did someone mention ideologies? What is that? What matters is to assume power at any cost even if one has to forego the ideology built and propagated over a period.
PC: Amit Sengupta
- The scene unfolding in Maharashtra is reminiscent of the same pattern playing out yet again. As you are aware, the Maharashtra political drama is heading to an intriguing end even as chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made an emotional address to Shiv Sena MLAs. It appears that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is most likely headed towards a fall and second, that Shiv Sena is experiencing a savage split. Of course, Uddhav did say in so many words that he was ready to resign, for the most past Shiv Sena’s alliance partners have made it clear that they think of the current crisis as solely of its own making. Interestingly, neither partners NCP nor Congress has been seen losing breath trying to save the MVA government.
- Remember, the alliance was formed primarily to keep the single largest party the BJP out of power. As for Sena’s future, Eknath Shinde and his rebel band are closing in on the mark where they will be able to dodge the anti-defection bullet, leaving Uddhav with the rump of the party. Most likely, Sena’s internal structure will be further weakened by a prolonged fight over who is truly carrying on Balasaheb’s legacy, a fight that started because of politics but has substantive ideological dimensions. Mind you, BJP had Sena on the backfoot even before the present crisis unfolded. When the two struck an assembly pre-poll alliance for the first time in 1990, BJP won 42 seats with 10.7% vote share while Sena won 52 seats with 15.9% vote share. By 2019 while Sena was in the same zone-56 seats and 16.4% vote share-BJP had 105 seats with 25.7% vote share.
PC: N. SATHIYA MOORTHY
- Similar to other regions, Congress is finding its vote share gobbled by Congress-looking secular parties, but a BJP-looking party is finding it difficult to survive the BJP juggernaut. Further, Thackeray’s moderate Hindutva notes are failing to cut ice with the right-wing supporting electorate who would rather side with the hardcore Hindutva being propagated by the BJP. The MVA alliance formed by accommodating NCP-Congress has alienated many Sainiks. And this very narration is being bandied about by Shinde galvanizing the rank and file by claiming that his band would never betray Balasaheb’s Hindutva for the sake of power. Of course, the BJP must be content and would be watching the unfolding drama with great amusement.
