The most bitter rivals in Maharashtra politics now are Shiv Sena (Uttar Pradesh) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The two politicians do not agree with each other and as the assembly elections are approaching, they are leaving no stone unturned to try to finish each other politically. In fact, both have the same political ambition: to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra once again.
The ambitions of both Thackeray and Shinde have become a topic of discussion in political circles. The opposition alliance Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has begun talks on seat-sharing for the assembly elections, with Thackeray’s close aides insisting that he should be declared the MVA’s chief ministerial candidate. Thackeray had also raised the possibility when he visited Delhi earlier this month to meet top Congress leaders.
On the other side of the political divide, Shinde’s Shiv Sena is keen to project him as the chief ministerial face. Shinde is also said to have floated this possibility during his Delhi visits. However, both are facing the same problem: their allies do not agree with them. In Thackeray’s case, the Congress is insisting that the top post should go to the party with the maximum number of seats. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, who had suggested Thackeray’s name for the top post when the MVA government was formed in 2019, has not yet supported the Shiv Sena (Uttar Pradesh) demand.
In the ruling alliance, the BJP has not given Shinde any preference at all. As far as the third partner NCP is concerned, the party is busy promoting Ajit Pawar as the future chief minister. Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader shared a joke in political circles. The saffron alliance broke down in 2019 over the issue of not giving the chief minister to the Shiv Sena. After this, Maharashtra has seen many major political upheavals in the last five years, but the irony is that during this period the chief minister’s post remained with the Shiv Sena – Thackeray for the first two and a half years and Shinde for the remaining half!
What will be Saunik’s next step?
After senior IAS officer I S Chahal was appointed additional chief secretary (home) last week, speculation is rife whether chief secretary Sujata Saunik will opt for the post of state election commissioner which is falling vacant next month. If that happens, Chahal will be the top contender for the chief secretary’s post. The home secretary’s post is anyway considered just a step away from the top post in the state administration. Saunik has not yet applied for the SEC post. If she opts for it, she will get a long tenure there.
While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde wants to see Chahal as the next chief secretary, some of his cabinet colleagues from the BJP and NCP are wondering if replacing Saunik with a male officer even before she has completed a year in office would go against the coalition government’s bid to woo women voters, especially after the coalition government took credit for appointing her as the state’s first chief secretary. If Saunik does not choose the SEC post, she could continue as chief secretary till mid-2025.
Two descendants of the Pawar family are roaming in Baramati
Two young members of the Pawar family from the rival camp have been moving around the Baramati area, fuelling speculation that they may soon enter the electoral fray. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son Jay and his nephew Yugendra have been moving around the assembly constituency, attending various events and meeting villagers. Earlier this month, Ajit Pawar had said that he may not contest from Baramati, leading to speculation that Jay may contest the assembly election from the seat from where his father has been winning elections since 1991. On the other hand, Yugendra who sided with Sharad Pawar after the family rift and campaigned for his aunt Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha elections, has been visiting every village in the constituency to thank the people. He is also being seen as a possible candidate of the NCP (SP) against Ajit or Jay in the Baramati assembly constituency. The family drama in Baramati does not seem to be over yet.
No consensus?
There was no unanimity among the three parties ahead of the bandh called by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Instead of announcing a bandh jointly with alliance partners, Shiv Sena (Uttar Pradesh) and Congress made separate announcements. Shiv Sena (Uttar Pradesh) chief Uddhav Thackeray held a press conference alone and announced that the bandh will be in place till 2 pm. When the High Court declared the bandh “unconstitutional”, Sharad Pawar appealed to his alliance partners via social media to call off the bandh, following which Congress leaders spoke to him and announced their protest plans.
