MUMBAI: Unrest is brewing among the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance partners, Shiv Sena and NCP, over what they describe as step-motherly treatment in the incumbent government. The allotment of government bungalows has emerged as the latest flashpoint between the alliance partners.
The BJP, with 130 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, is in a dominant position, while its alliance partners, Shiv Sena and NCP, feel squeezed and ignored when it comes to government decisions, allocation of funds and now bungalows.
Sachin Ahir, Shiv Sena MLA, was recently elected Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra State Legislative Council. The state General Administration Department allotted him the 'Raigad' (A-6) bungalow opposite Mantralaya.
However, the bungalow allotment order to Sachin Ahir was immediately cancelled after the government administration found that the same bungalow had already been reserved for Maharashtra BJP unit president and BJP MLA Ravindra Chavan.
Ahir then sought the allotment of former Deputy Chairman of the Upper House Dr Neelam Gorhe's 'Purandar' (C-3) bungalow, but the administration informed him that it had already been allotted to Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Anna Bansode.
Sachin Ahir was then asked to shift his luggage not to a bungalow but to a government flat in the 'Suniti' building at Churchgate.
A Shiv Sena leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this was nothing but the humiliation of their leader by denying him a bungalow while, on the other hand, a person who is a party president and does not hold any government post continues to retain one.
He said this step-motherly treatment by the BJP-led government was not good.
“We swallowed all humiliation to bring back the BJP to power, and in return what are we getting? The top leadership of the BJP and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should be more lenient towards the alliance partners. We were given step-motherly treatment in the allocation of funds, allowing us to speak in the House and taking major decisions. Our project files are stalled by citing one reason or another. The secretaries of our departments are more concerned about the CM than the department minister,” he said, requesting anonymity.
The NCP is also unhappy because its national president and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is yet to be given the finance portfolio that was earlier with Ajit Pawar.
Besides, the CM, Devendra Fadnavis, entertains NCP MLAs, ministers and leaders who align with the party leadership by allocating more space and funds to them.
“The Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, announced the waiver of farmers' agricultural pump electricity bills amounting to around Rs 48,000 crore. This is a big decision, but CM Fadnavis announced it unilaterally. He should have taken the alliance partners into confidence before making such a big announcement. Such a decision needs to be discussed in the Cabinet before being announced. So the Cabinet has no value or importance. This is nothing but undermining its authority and ignoring the alliance partners,” an NCP leader said, requesting anonymity.
As a result, BJP alliance partners' MLAs and ministers are more occupied with keeping CM Fadnavis happy than staying in the good books of their own party leadership.
“The message is that if you keep the CM happy, you will protect your ministry no matter what your party leadership thinks of you. The recent statement of NCP minister Dutta Barne, who said he wants to see Fadnavis in the top post of India, meaning as Prime Minister, reflects this trend. Such flattery has increased among the alliance partners' leaders,” a political watcher pointed out.
