Maharashtra Political Drama: An ongoing chess game of power ambition and loyalty
April 19, 2023 09:45
Swati Chaturvedi, Special to Gulf News
There is a strong buzz that the leader of the opposition in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar (left), may join the BJP. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis (right) could be key to this new development.
Image Credit: ANI/AFP
If Maharashtra politics, defined by Bollywood in Mumbai, is a theatrical chess board of Indian politics, the Grandmaster of Maha politics is Sharad Pawar the doughty Maratha chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Pawar can conjure up unlikely alliances the Maha Vikas Agadhi that partnered the Congress with Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena and also make a smooth somersault in to a pairing with the ruling BJP.
So as rumours and stories swirled around that Ajit Pawar, nephew of Pawar Sr, was planning to join the BJP and partner with them to form the government all eyes were on the NCP chief.
After all he had previously gotten his nephew to dump the BJP after a morning swearing in with Devendra Fadnavis for a government that lasted for mere days.
If you know Maharashtra politics, you also know that Pawar junior, who has a burning ambition to be the CM of Maharashtra, having been deputy CM multiple times and an MLA for seven terms, will make no move without his uncles explicit permission.
Love-hate relationship with Modi
Fact: Pawar Sr commands absolute loyalty of the NCP MLAs, so the idea that 40 of them were prepared to go with Ajit seemed outlandish.
Combine that with how the Maratha strongman has been making nice with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, bailing him out on the questions surrounding his relationship with the controversial billionaire, Gautam Adani and dismissing that Modis academic degree was a political issue, just when Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi chief minister, made a bigissue out of it.
At the heart of the overtures made to Pawar is the realisation in the BJP that it is not in a position to win Maharashtra with Shinde and his team. The BJP would need to break one of the three opposition parties. Currently the NCP seems ready to do business. But, when push comes to shove will Pawar actually break ranks with the opposition?
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So what were the uncle and nephew playing at? That question has gripped Mumbai, Indias opposition including Sonia Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray and triggered a media frenzy in the country.
Add to it Supriya Sule, daughter of Pawar Sr, saying that a political earthquake would soon take place and you had thousands of trees felled for newsprint and hour after hour of anchors screaming on TV screens.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
Shinde-Fadnavis: The great tugging match
So lets unpack. The NCP leaders and MLAs have been facing heat from the investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), with several under probe.
90 per cent of the ED cases in India are against the opposition leaders. From Nawab Malik to Praful Patel close aide of Pawar Sr the ED heat is being dialled up as the 2024 general election approaches.
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Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 5:45 am