Not just Shiv Sena but many seniors in the BJP too feel alienated!

Not just Shiv Sena but many seniors in the BJP too feel alienated!

As the debate on Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) has once again created nationwide concerns over the probability of religious and communal polarisation in the country, BJP’s former alliance partner Shiv Sena has displayed unprecedented flip-flop in its stand on the issue. While the Sena wholeheartedly supported CAB in Lok Sabha, the party took a different stand in Rajya Sabha and stayed away from voting on the bill in the upper house. The Sena perhaps did this under pressure from its newly found partners Congress and NCP, but in the process damaged its credibility.

There is murmur in the corridors of Mantralaya in Mumbai that the new Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance formed by Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress party has not been able to resolve the disputes over who will get which portfolio in the state government even two weeks after the alliance leader and Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray got sworn in as Chief Minister. Six minister have finally been given some important portfolios but cabinet expansion is still pending.

Shiv Sena’s aggressive posture against the BJP right after the election outcome, resulted in the BJP getting isolated in this ‘four horse race,’ but now, the BJP is getting the opportunity to point at the internal bickering among alliance partners so early in their tenure.

While speaking with some media channels former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made it clear that his party BJP had never shut the door on Shiv Sena and it was Sena which went away from the NDA so he was open to the idea of working with Shiv Sena again. This clearly gives an indication that BJP still has some hope that at some stage in the future Sena might think of returning to BJP led NDA to form another alliance government in the state!

Some seniors in the Shiv Sena indicate that their main problem with the BJP is over how the party leadership in the state (though they do not name him, they mean to say Devendra Fadnavis) treated the Sena during their five year tenure. Sena felt like they were side lined. Now they don’t want to go back to the NDA in a hurry and want to try out how relations with Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Congress work in the state and it may take time for them to settle.

While BJP might feel elated looking at the discomfort Shiv Sena has adjusting itself in the new alliance in Maharashtra and seems confused about what stand to take on important issues such as citizenship amendment bill, the BJP on the other hand has a new worry about how to handle internal bickering.

BJP’s senior leader Eknath Khadse and former minister and prominent face Pankaja Munde launched a scathing attack against former CM Fadnavis (without directly naming him) at a public rally held in Pankaja's home town Parli in Beed district on the occasion of late leader Gopinath Munde’s birth anniversary. Both leaders minced no words while making their displeasure public claiming that one leader (they meant to say Fadnavis) has taken entire control of the party in Maharashtra and no decisions are happening jointly as they used to happen previously. Both Khadse and Pankaja said that they felt totally alienated in the party and though they had worked for the party for decades they thought the party had almost deserted them.

It is now becoming obvious that whether it is the Shiv Sena which walked out of the alliance with BJP or whether it is disgruntled leaders such as Khadse and Pankaja, in all cases, the complaints are mainly against BJP’s state leadership. What is common between all these disgruntled elements is that they are willing to fall in line and work with the BJP whole heartedly if leadership is changed. The million dollar question is whether BJP’s central leadership is willing to make that change to return to power in an important state like Maharashtra.

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com