Maharashtra | Why internal feud mars ruling Mahayuti alliance ahead of assembly polls

With hardly any time left for Maharashtra assembly polls announcement, the rift in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, has often come to the fore over the last few weeks over a wide range of issues.

The rift may widen further in the coming days as the Mahayuti partners hold deliberations to finalise the seat-sharing arrangements for the crucial assembly polls in which they are pitted against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). It will be a daunting task for Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of the BJP, to pacify the other two partners both of whom are seeking a larger share of seats.

There is already a buzz in the political circles that all is not well among the Mahayuti allies. It was evident when Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Ratnagiri last week for the promotion of the populist scheme, ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ (My Beloved Sister), under which eligible women in the age group of 21 to 65 years with a family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh are given Rs 1,500 per month. While the NCP leaders attended the event in Konkan, the BJP leaders and workers were conspicuous by their absence.

Shinde Sena, BJP trade barbs

Senior Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader from the Konkan region, Ramdas Kadam, recently called BJP leader and PWD minister Ravindra Chavan “a useless minister” while talking about the pathetic condition of the Mumbai-Goa Highway.

“After a 14-year wait, even Lord Ram’s vanvas (exile) ended, but problems on the Mumbai-Goa Highway persist. We are still deprived of good roads. Roads are pothole-ridden. PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan seems completely useless. Despite being in an alliance, I openly believe that (Deputy CM) Devendra Fadnavis should ask for Chavan’s resignation,” he said.

However, a visibly upset Chavan hit back at Kadam, dubbing him an “illiterate man”. “You better mind your language. I shall not tolerate such abuses from anybody. If you have the guts, come and meet me personally. Being in the alliance does not mean anyone will say anything, and I will keep listening. The subject pertains to the Union ministry of national highways. What has Kadam done for Konkan despite having been a minister for 15 years? I can speak the same language as him,” he said.

This war of words between the two senior leaders did not go down well with Fadnavis, who said he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “What alliance principle does Kadam adhere to while making such comments in public? He could have addressed his concerns internally with us. Nevertheless, I will look into the issues he has raised,” he told reporters.

Competing for top post

While Eknath Shinde succeeded to fulfil his chief ministerial ambitions after splitting the Shiv Sena in 2022, Ajit Pawar, who has been eyeing the top post for long, is waiting for his turn.

Media reports suggest that a silent power tussle is brewing between the two leaders who are heading the breakaway factions of two regional parties. Heading the crucial finance portfolio, Ajit is making all the effort to cement his position as a popular and efficient senior leader with chief ministerial ambitions ahead of the assembly polls.

Interestingly, Ajit is quite open about his ambitions as he talked at length during a recent event, with Fadnavis and Shinde in attendance, as to how he had been left behind while his “junior” had gone ahead and become the chief minister. Fadnavis had been the chief minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019.

Shinde and Ajit are also vying for the credit of the Ladki Bahin scheme. Ajit has been promoting it as “Majhi Ladki Bahin” (My beloved sister) while projecting himself as ‘dada’ (older brother), a sobriquet associated with him for long. On the other hand, Shinde is promoting the same scheme, but with a prefix—the ‘Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana’.

The cold war between the two is already taking a toll on the governance as it is learnt that Ajit and Shinde are sitting on the files they receive from each other for weeks. The MLAs from Shinde Sena also allege that Ajit Pawar allocated more funds to the constituencies of his legislators while denying funds to urban development and other departments under the chief minister.

BJP vs NCP in Pune

The BJP and NCP led by Ajit Pawar have come face to face over various issues in Pune in the last few weeks.

A group of people, reportedly associated with the BJP, waved black flags at Ajit during his Jan Samman Yatra in the Junnar area of Pune district recently. The protesters flayed Ajit for holding an official function and “sidelining” the allies.

Besides, the presence of Anushakti Nagar NCP MLA Nawab Malik at these events may not go down well with the BJP. Malik has been accused in a money laundering case and is currently out on interim bail on medical grounds. Ajit has also appointed Malik’s daughter, Sana, the party’s spokesperson. All this despite the fact that Fadnavis had written to Ajit last year against any plan to induct Malik in the ruling alliance.

Meanwhile, in another instance, former BJP legislator Jagdish Mulik has accused NCP Vadgaon Sheri MLA Sunil Tingre of denying alliance partners credit for development work.

Foundation stones for government projects worth Rs 300 crore were recently laid in Vadgaon Sheri with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the chief guest. However, publicity materials for the event featured only the NCP chief, not leaders of the other Mahayuti partners.

Bogus registration of voters

In another sign of rift, the BJP leaders have lodged a complaint against Maharashtra Minorities Development Minister and Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar, accusing him of facilitating bogus registration of voters for electoral benefit.

The BJP has alleged that 50,000 voters in his constituency are enrolled twice and they are either his workers, relatives, or employees of institutions managed by him. Idris Multani, head of the state minority cell of BJP and Suresh Bankar, secretary, state BJP, have made a complaint to collector of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in this regard.

Notably, Multani has also demanded that the Sillod constituency, which Sattar represents, should be conceded to the BJP. He said, “It must not be allotted to Shinde Sena. Sattar did not work for BJP’s Raosaheb Danve in Lok Sabha election.”