There was a period of multi-starrer films in Hindi cinema in the 1970s and 80s. Films like Amar Akbar Anthony still remember the formula of bringing three big stars in one film and making it a superhit, but in such films, where all the stars worked together, it was difficult to give credit to any one star for the scenes that kept the crowd engaged. Despite this, the audience knew that Amitabh Bachchan had the most effective scenes in this film.
Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is facing a similar situation today. This alliance of Shiv Sena (Shiv Sena), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress was formed in 2019 under special political circumstances. This alliance was formed when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched ‘Operation Lotus’.
In 2019, this alliance kept the BJP out of power and made Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray the chief minister of Maharashtra. However, the BJP’s political strategy had the effect of not only costing Uddhav Thackeray his well-established party’s name and symbol over time, but it also sent a strong message to other NDA allies that if they go against the BJP, they too may have to face similar consequences.
The MVA led by Uddhav Thackeray defeated the NDA by winning 31 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. This victory was a big success for the MVA, and it further strengthened Uddhav Thackeray’s confidence. Now Uddhav Thackeray’s eyes are on the state assembly elections, where he wants to claim the post of Chief Minister once again. But the situation within the MVA is no longer the same as before.
During the Lok Sabha elections, disputes arose several times between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over seat sharing, but the equation between Thackeray and Gandhi family remained intact. The mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ from Shiv Sena (UBT) advocated making Rahul Gandhi the face of the Bharat alliance, while some other allies were hesitant about the name of Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the equations within the MVA are changing rapidly after the Lok Sabha elections. Despite contesting the maximum number of seats, the position of Shiv Sena (UBT) is now considered weak. Congress won 13 out of 17 seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT) secured only 9 out of 21 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP maintained itself in the strongest position by winning 8 out of 10 seats.
With the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s position weakening, Uddhav Thackeray’s claim for the post of Chief Minister has also come under question. Internal surveys conducted by the Congress have shown that Uddhav Thackeray’s popularity is declining within the MVA. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray met the Congress leadership in Delhi and demanded a change in the formula for the post of Chief Minister. He argues that the traditional formula of giving the post of Chief Minister to the party getting the most seats weakens the alliance.
Uddhav Thackeray told the Congress leadership that under this formula, every party in the alliance competes to demand more and more seats, which makes the situation more complicated after the elections. He demanded the Congress leadership to ensure that if the MVA wins the assembly elections, he should get the post of Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, the tussle for the chief ministerial post within the MVA has intensified. Uddhav Thackeray has realized that only if he is declared the chief ministerial face, he will be able to keep his party leaders and supporters united. Currently, Eknath Shinde, who is a rebel leader of Shiv Sena and is now the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is constantly breaking the grassroots leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) and pulling them to his side.
In the past, Shiv Sena has faced challenges from leaders like Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray, but the biggest challenge is from Eknath Shinde. Shinde has not only succeeded in keeping 40 rebel MLAs with him, but he has also brought more leaders to his side from Uddhav Thackeray. He has also won 7 Lok Sabha seats, which is only 2 seats less than Uddhav Thackeray.
Within the MVA, differences are emerging over Uddhav Thackeray’s candidature. If he is declared the CM face now, there will be a strong counter-attack from the BJP, especially on the Hindutva issue. This situation could create problems for the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s ‘secular’ vote bank.
Despite the success of the MVA in the Lok Sabha elections, the assembly elections will focus on local issues and the fight for seats. In such a situation, the tussle for the post of Chief Minister within the MVA can become even more complicated. The Election Commission has extended the dates of the Maharashtra Assembly elections by 15-20 days, making it clear that the decision regarding the face for the post of Chief Minister within the MVA will be taken only in the final round of seat sharing.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)