Finally, the BJP has responded to the Governor admitting that they do not have the numbers to form the government. Frantic efforts are on between their ally-turned-foe, Shiv Sena and the NCP, Congress combine. Sharad Pawar of NCP has been a tall statesman in Maharashtra politics and have responded to the likely arrangement with Sena with caution, as Sena is insisting on the Chief Minister’s post. The flimsy reason Uddhav Thackeray gives is the promise he had given to his late father, Balasaheb Thackeray.
The clamour for the Chief Ministership had become a contentious issue between BJP and Shiv Sena, both refusing to budge from their firm stand of yielding the post in terms of a purported 50:50 formula. Fadnavis of the BJP refuted any promise to share the CM’s post, Uddhav calling the former BJP CM as a liar.
Congress party and in particular its chief, Sonia Gandhi, were muted to the Sena call, a few hurriedly dismissive of Sena’s overtures as pressure building tactics against their long-term ally, BJP. Both BJP and Sena are Hindutva parties and their spiritual commanders at Nagpur, the RSS, have a substantial hold over the leaders. This time though, even after leaders of both the parties met the RSS leadership, it could offer a little solution, except advising to stay united.
Under the present circumstances, rather than accepting the Governor’s invitation and failing miserably on the floor of the Assembly during the trust vote, BJP has wisely backtracked. It has called the Sena bluff and also thrown the gauntlet over the principled stand of the Congress and the NCP not to tread with the Hindutva forces. Even if Congress and the NCP offer direct or outside support to Shiv Sena, they cannot ignore its ramifications on a national level. To me, an unlikely alliance between the principally opposed parties will be a short honeymoon, followed by an expensive divorce. My contemporary take is Congress will not extend its support to Sena!
On a Pan India scenario, the electoral battles between Modi-Shah led BJP and others are redrawn continuously. Nitish is continuing to be a fence sitter, with his JDU vice president Prashant Kishor strategising every election campaign, from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu. The lineup, though can change in the future, could include TMC, DMK, Rajinikanth’s whichever, MNM, the entire Left, Congress, NCP, TRS, PMK, NCP, PDP, RJD, JDU, IUML and that may not be all.
BJP must stop inducting criminals and gangsters into their fold and must try to adhere to the promised good governance, even in the face of a few battles reverses, which is a part of winning the war strategy.The lacklustre Indian political scenario stands suddenly invigorated and could be for thrill and unexpected climaxes. However, there may be no foreseeable threat to Modi, as the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya could be inaugurated just before the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
It is interesting to note that there has been no horse-trading yet, at least open auctions!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
