Nationalist Congress Party NCP leader Ajit Pawar speaks at a meeting of the party in Mumbai yesterday. Also seen are Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
IANS/Mumbai
The Bharatiya Janata Party seems to have been caught in a cleft-stick in Maharashtra, thanks to a fractured mandate in the 13th assembly elections.
With no political party securing a clear majority in the 288-member assembly, a period of political instability looms ahead in Maharashtra - though the Nationalist Congress Party has taken the lead to prevent such a situation.
Despite emerging as the single-largest party with 123 seats (122+1 ally), the BJP falls 22 short of a simple majority - it cannot form the government, and it does not want to sit in opposition.
This has set off hectic politicking between the Shiv Sena and the BJP, both looking at the possibility of cobbling up a workable alliance - against the backdrop of rancour developed in the past one month between the 25-year-old former allies.
The BJP would be entirely dependent on a demanding partner for pushing through any policy initiatives or major decisions, though its prime chief ministerial contender Devendra Fadnavis, 44, is considered an aggressive go-getter.
While the NCP provided some relief with its offer of unconditional external support, this may come with many hidden strings attached, besides growls from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
“We have supported the BJP in the interest of the state. Under the present scenario, there is a need for political stability. We shall not join the government. There will be no compromise on our basic principles,” NCP president Sharad Pawar said at a party meeting here yesterday.
One option for the party would be to renew its alliance with the Shiv Sena even as the RSS distanced itself from “any political decisions” of the BJP yesterday.
But there is a hitch - the BJP has already said the chief minister’s post is non-negotiable, and any government led by it would not have the post of a deputy chief minister - and, according to some speculation, it may offer the Sena a maximum of five ministries.
“In such a scenario, what attraction is left for us to support or join them,” a senior Sena leader asked.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has made it clear that the BJP is free to take anybody’s help in government formation, but that it would not offer unsolicited support.
However, he kept the door ajar, saying if the BJP could guarantee upholding the state’s integrity, the Sena might consider any proposal favourably.
“If the need arises, we are ready to sit in the opposition,” Thackeray said, indicating that pressure tactics may not work now.
Sunday’s election outcome shows that the numbers game has become tricky on all fronts with many possibilities emerging.
The BJP needs a minimum of 22 seats more for a simple majority - with the NCP’s 41, it crosses the minimum threshold (145) comfortably.
In another potential scenario, if the Congress (42) and NCP (41) were to unite and offer ‘outside support’ to Sena (63), the three together achieve the magic figure of 146.
Some smaller parties and independents too may follow suit since all had one objective of keeping the “BJP out” at all costs.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar yesterday revealed that the Congress indeed had plans to support the Shiv Sena in government formation, but the NCP rejected the move.
The Congress is no stranger to such politics - it had tried out short-term external support several times to prop up various central governments headed by Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral.
Hinting at such a possible scenario, Sharad Pawar said that the Congress and NCP cannot form the government on their own, so his party decided to support the BJP for political stability in the state.
“Moreover, whenever the Congress has offered support to any government in the past, it has always collapsed,” Pawar said.
On their part, Sena sources said another option for the BJP would be to name late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja as the next chief minister, a move which has emotional overtones for both parties. Her additional credentials: she would be the first Maharashtrian woman from the OBC to get the post.
At present, all parties are keeping their cards close to their chest and a clearer picture is likely to emerge over the next couple of days.
