Shiv-Sena and BJP Alliance Breaks, Maharashtra Polls Wide Open

NEW DELHI: The 25 year old alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra came apart after hectic negotiations failed to reach an agreement on the number of seats to be contested in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Within hours the two entered into talks with the four junior parties to continue the alliance with the Shiv Sena claiming that “whatever happens they will be with the Sena” and the BJP equally adamant that the one leader parties would not leave its side.

The collapse of the mahayuti spurred both the BJP and the Shiv Sena to frenetically woo the Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, the Rashtriya Samaj Party of Mahadeo Jankar, the Ramdas Athavale-led RPI and Vinayak Mete's Shiv Sangram Sanghatana who also raised their stakes following the attention,

The first indication that the BJP too had decided enough was enough in response to Shiv Sena’s persistence about contesting 150 seats came from party president Amit Shah’s decision to cancel his visit to Mumbai a day ago. Sources claimed that this followed a decision at the highest level for the BJP to contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections on its own, cashing in on the goodwill for Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was clearly reflected in the Lok Sabha results from the state.

It is almost certain now that PM Modi will campaign for the party in the state with the BJP clear that it will be able to consolidate the vote in its favour. The Shiv Sena on the other hand has blamed the BJP for not working out the differences, and is clearly quite optimistic about retaining and expanding its hold in the state.

Significantly, there is every possibility now that the Nationalist Congress Party will jettison the talks with the Congress and also contest the elections on its own. The Congress party is seen by all as a decimated force in the state, with the four cornered contest for the seats raising the hope of all political parties and candidates in the fray.

The BJP state unit was particularly keen not to contest in alliance with the Shiv Sena and had persuaded Shah also about contesting the elections on its own, and thereby trying out its strength on the ground in the wake of PM Modi’s popularity. Shah had said as much during an initial visit to the state where he had urged the party to sweep the elections and form the government in the state.

Sources said that the four political parties in the two alliances now appeared to be “sick” of each other with the NCP for long straining at the leash in its understanding with the Congress. Sharad Pawar is expected to break the alliance as well and test his party’s strength with his son Ajit Pawar being credited with having strengthened the organisation considerably over the last couple of years. It is also seen as “financially sound” a major plus when it comes to contesting elections in Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena is seen to be a little worried but clearly not willing to back off from its stand of contesting 150 seats. All the four larger parties have their areas of strength with the Congress perhaps the most worried about its future in the state. The BJP hopes to make up the absence of a leader for the chief minister with a high voltage campaign, while the Shiv Sena will project Uddhav Thackeray for the post. The Congress party has decided, despite considerable opposition from within to support sitting CM Prithviraj Chavan who seems to have resigned himself to defeat, and sitting in the opposition already. Pawar’s candidate for chief minister is still not clear but reports now suggest that in the final analysis he will settle for Ajit Pawar.