Bharat Express

Aim For 2024: Focus On Maharashtra

During a recent trip to Maharashtra, I had the opportunity to see firsthand how Sharad Pawar’s portrait is displayed spontaneously in NCP offices as a spontaneous expression of the organization’s everlasting faith in Saheb’s never-say-die spirit and unbridled love for him. 

July 8, 2023

Maharashtra-Politics

An important political revolution was brought up when Ajit Pawar, the head of the NCP, switched sides and joined the NDA. He is now proudly flaunting the status of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He is additionally passionate about becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Eight of the other NCP MLAs who travelled with Ajit Pawar were given ministerial appointments by the Maharashtra government. This incident has exacerbated the rivalry between uncle Sharad Pawar and nephew Ajit Pawar over control of the NCP.

In the separate meetings that Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar faction called on Tuesday as a show of strength,  Ajit side appeared to be in the lead. Sharad Pawar must now manage the party, its emblem, and its MLAs; the Ajit group looks to be steadily strengthening its position in this regard.

If the characters are changed this time, whatever is happening to NCP in July, Shiv Sena went through the same thing in June of last year. Then, Eknath Shinde did the act of Ajit Pawar, while Uddhav Thackeray played the role of Sharad Pawar. History has so far replicated itself this year at this time. It is true that some people believe history enjoys repeating itself. Maharashtra politics may now be the best illustration of this in the nation. Ajit Pawar’s decision to abandon the NCP and join the Shinde administration is akin to Sharad Pawar’s insurrection against the Vasantdada Patil administration in Maharashtra in 1978.

The Maharashtra government of Vasantdada Patil was overthrown after Sharad Pawar split the Congress. Along with 40 other MLAs, Sharad Pawar left the government in protest against Vasantdada Patil.

Consider the coincidence that Ajit Pawar is claiming to have the support of almost the same number of MLAs today to join the Shinde administration. Who would have imagined that the relentless cycle of time would one day cause Sharad Pawar’s nephew to experience the same suffering that he had inflicted upon Congress 45 years prior.

Who would have imagined that Sharad Pawar, who became the chief minister of a sizable and significant state like Maharashtra at the age of only 38, would have to deal with the day when he would be removed from the leadership of the party he led on the grounds of his youth. He has irrigated it with his blood and sweat, making it so important in Maharashtra politics.

The Maratha ruler of Maharashtra is now faced with the issue of preserving both his political existence and that of the party at the age of 82. According to the Ajit Pawar camp, Sharad Pawar was told that while he might name his daughter Supriya Sule as the party’s national president, Ajit Pawar should retain control of Maharashtra.

It’s possible that junior Pawar wouldn’t have needed to go through with all of this or that this catastrophe wouldn’t have befallen NCP if senior Pawar had agreed with this idea. But who is the Sharad Pawar who submits to pressure politics? Sharad Pawar carried out the actions that suited his grassroots politics while knowing that Ajit Pawar would one day quit his side and go his own route. He is making an effort to get NCP back on its feet, even in this challenging time and era.

This heart can only belong to Sharad Pawar. Although he may be falling behind in the numbers game, he still enjoys the support of NCP members and fans. The MLAs of the party supporting him, notably Supriya Sule, are quite certain that when Saheb visits Maharashtra and interacts with the populace, the game will once again be turned on its head. This assertion, however, cannot be disproved.

During a recent trip to Maharashtra, I had the opportunity to see firsthand how Sharad Pawar’s portrait is displayed spontaneously in NCP offices as a spontaneous expression of the organization’s everlasting faith in Saheb’s never-say-die spirit and unbridled love for him.

By the way, Devendra Fadnavis is a politician on the opposing side of this Maharashtra political arena whose commitment to his party and the confidence of the party’s senior leadership in him are indisputable. It is crucial to acknowledge him because, in this game, he is playing the part of Chanakya. What’s more, with great tact and silence, he has created a political reversal in Maharashtra that will be felt in the general elections the following yearIt would probably be accurate to say that Devendra Fadnavis has resolved a significant crisis impeding the party’s rise to power in the 2024 election.Additionally, by putting aside that right for which he is unquestionably a deserving successor, the party’s objective can be achieved. The BJP is the biggest party in Maharashtra and is currently in power.

Despite this, Devendra Fadnavis took the position of Deputy Chief Minister under Eknath Shinde and is now prepared to share this job with the same Ajit Pawar who previously held the position under him in the benefit of the party. Took oath as Chief Minister. Such a display of penance and sacrifice by a young mass leader for his party is unusual in today’s political climate.

This sacrifice is significant since it is made with the intention of strengthening the BJP’s future. Along with Ajit Pawar, other veterans like Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal have allied with the NDA. He was one of Sharad Pawar’s most trusted advisors up until a few days ago. Praful Patel even made it to the Patna opposition unity gathering. The ongoing legal proceedings against ED and himself are thought to be a significant factor in this transformation, as is the fear of punishment. But this is just partially accurate. Ajit Pawar and his organisation are also necessary to BJP in the current political climate. BJP does not currently appear to be as strong as it once was in Maharashtra, Bihar, or Karnataka. In Bihar, the NDA took 39 of the 40 seats in 2019. Then, though, JDU and LJP joined him. JDU has switched sides today. It won’t be simple for the BJP to repeat their charismatic victory of 25 out of 28 seats in the Karnataka assembly elections after a worse than anticipated setback.

In Maharashtra, BJP and Shiv Sena together won 41 of the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. The Shiv Sena, which has split into two groups, is currently affiliated with the BJP. The state of NCP is currently the same. However, only the Lok Sabha elections will serve as a litmus test for who the mandate is with.

Speaking about the remainder of the nation, the BJP appears to have less room to grow its seats in large states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. West Bengal and the Northeast are both experiencing the same situation, and expecting much from South India is pointless in any case. Despite this, Maharashtra was not consistently sending the BJP positive signals. 34 seats were thought to be possible for the Mahavikas Aghadi.

This indicated that only 14 seats were expected to be won by the BJP and the Shiv Sena-Shinde combination. The top leadership of the BJP must be heaving a sigh of relief that the NCP has united with a powerful group. It is unclear, though, how much and how long the Shinde camp will be able to be accommodating to the newcomers to the Maharashtra government.

The BJP’s priorities at this moment, however, are different. Combining forces with the NCP has also boosted the BJP’s argument that, by enlisting a growing number of allies before the elections, it can disprove the opposition’s claims that its tribe is constantly being constrained.

In the next days, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) in Bihar, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, Mukesh Sahni’s VIP, Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Omprakash Rajbhar’s Subhaspa in Uttar Pradesh, Akali Dal in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP is also likely to join the NDA.

The entire process serves as a counterbalance to the opposition’s plan to run a common candidate in each seat and deal with the difficulty of forming the government in the event that they fall short of a majority by a small margin of seats. Because of this, even though it was played in Maharashtra, the actual game takes place in 2024.