AA Edit | Uncertainty lies ahead as Maha in political ferment

The political situation in Maharashtra continues to churn, with Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the erstwhile united Shiv Sena and the BJP in the state government, taking along with him multiple legislators and staking claim to the NCP and its symbol. The Pawar scion has stated that the party will not merge with any other, but continue to contest polls under its original banner.

For voters, the 2024 elections cannot come sooner, as they seek clarity on the political equations in the state. Starting with the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, where the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena had to find common ground — very much provided by their joint opposition to the BJP — the government continued to quell fires round-the-clock as dissenters started to surface. The MVA is now gone, the Shiv Sena split into factions and the BJP having the last laugh, by staking claim to the government amid the whirlpool of changing political allegiances.

Parties are also keeping an eye on the 2024 elections, both of the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Assembly, as they have allies to find, ties to strengthen and seats to win. The NCP is part of an overarching opposition agenda, where Sharad Pawar continues to be a much respected voice, standing out in a group containing Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi and Nitish Kumar, among others. The NCP is also opposed to the BRS, which has made its entry into the Maharashtra political scene, aiming criticism at K. Chandrashekar Rao for his extravagant 600-vehicle convoy road trip to Sholapur for a show of strength. Given that the Congress is also unwilling to accommodate the BRS, with Rahul Gandhi calling the party a ‘BJP’s stooge’, it seems that the NCP is stuck with the Congress, for now.

The Shiv Sena, which also espoused a nationalist Hindutva agenda, seems to have moved away from the extremity of the political spectrum over its disagreements with the BJP. While it has a strong presence in Maharashtra, it has effectively been rendered a lone wolf in the field right of centre. The further split of the Sena may also sway voters one way or the other — those seeking rigidity moving towards the BJP and those seeking to keep faith in the origins of the party sticking with the Thackeray-led faction.
The BJP, meanwhile, using all its political savvy, is pushing for a third consecutive term at the Centre and will definitely look to get the equations right so as to project itself as being as strong as it was in 2014, given the Congress’ resurgence, especially in ousting BJP from Karnataka.

While luring Eknath Shinde and his team proved to be a masterstroke, the uncertainty surrounding Shinde will force the BJP into a rethink to emerge stronger in the state. In an effort that may prove to be another political masterstroke, tying up with the junior Pawar may prove to be another masterstroke in the long run.