The election of Devendra Fadnavis as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Maharashtra which makes him the chief minister heading the Mahayuti government in the state puts an end to the uncertainties that followed an election that did throw up a definite result. Mr Fadnavis will now have former chief minister Eknath Shinde and former deputy chief minister Ajith Pawar, both leaders of the alliance partners, as his deputies, as he takes over as chief minister. The Mahayuti government has a more than comfortable majority in the 288-member Assembly with 234 members while the Opposition has been reduced to a shadow of its former self, unable even to make a claim to have a leader of the Opposition.
While Mr Fadnavis’ election ends speculation about the leadership for now, it opens some uncomfortable questions. The present arrangement — with Mr Fadnavis as CM with the alliance party leaders as his deputies — cannot in a normal situation take such a long time to arrive at. The election results were announced on November 23, and it took the BJP 11 days to decide on a man who was chief minister twice before and has an excellent record at the job. This time gap needs an explanation from the saffron party.
It is a fact that Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde did well as chief minister and led the alliance to victory just six months after its disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha elections. Observers point at the several schemes that he introduced successfully, the most impactful among them being the chief minister’s Ladli Behna scheme, that have played a key role in bringing the Mahayuti back to power. He is within his rights to make a claim to the chief minister’s post again. But the BJP could still have elected its own leader to the Assembly at a much earlier time. It did not. It may be remembered that the BJP had got the very same Mr Fadnavis to swear in as chief minister at an unearthly hour after the 2019 elections knowing full well that he did not command a majority in the House.
While the internal dynamics of the BJP and the Mahayuti would be a topic for conjecture, the Fadnavis government should have an easy going given the mandate it has got from the people. But Mr Fadnavis will have to factor in the very same reasons that delayed his anointment for an inexplicably long period and negotiate carefully. The man who showed no uneasiness in leaving the CM’s chair and became the deputy CM may be able reach a consensus with the alliance partners on the distribution of portfolios. The real challenge will be to meet the high expectations the people have placed on the alliance. The continuation and improvement of the welfare schemes the Shinde government had launched will be one among them. The infrastructure needs of India’s economic power house will be a challenge and an opportunity for the new government. Even an attempt to solve the perennial problems the farming community faces will earn the government a lot of goodwill. It is going to be a tough task for Mr Fadnavis to propitiate all gods and he will have to put to use every trick in the book.
