The BJP’s parent organisation, the RSS, held a meeting in Mumbai to discuss the upcoming Maharashtra state assembly elections. During the meeting, concerns were raised about whether the BJP had made the right decision by breaking away from the Shiv Sena, founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray, and aligning with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. Some factions within the RSS are worried that Shinde is growing in prominence, cementing his position in state and at Centre. The meeting concluded that, in trying to diminish Thackeray’s influence, the BJP has created a new problem in the form of Shinde.
Pawar’s strategic silence on CM candidate
In 2019, former Union Minister Sharad Pawar was instrumental in making Uddhav Thackeray the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, aiming to deliver a political lesson and return to power through the MVA experiment. However, with the 2024 state assembly elections approaching, Sharad Pawar seems reluctant to announce Uddhav Thackeray as the CM candidate. Instead, Pawar has decided to keep his plans close to his chest until the final results are in. The Congress is also eyeing a significant opportunity to secure the CM position after a 15-year hiatus in state politics.
Statue controversy boosts Uddhav’s party
The recent collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue has provided Uddhav Thackeray with a chance to recover from the damage his party suffered in the last Lok Sabha elections in Konkan and the Mumbai metropolitan region. Shiv Sena, which originated in Mumbai, had naturally expanded into the Konkan belt with a similar voter base. However, in the last Lok Sabha polls, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena lost three crucial seats in Raigad, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, and Mawal. The statue controversy has revitalised Thackeray’s cadre, fostering the perception that the BJP has not spared even Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for corruption.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com