BJP employs ‘different’ strategy to weaken Maha Congress

The BJP in Maharashtra is using a strategy of poaching heavyweight opposition leaders to weaken the Congress ahead of the 2024 elections. Over a dozen Congress leaders, as well as some from the NCP and Shiv Sena, are reportedly ready to join the ruling alliance. The BJP aims to get at least a third of the Congress' remaining 43 MLAs to quit and join one of the ruling parties. The party believes that by weakening the Congress, it can improve its chances in central Maharashtra. The acquisition of Ashok Chavan is seen as a significant move to weaken the Congress at the national level as well.

MUMBAI: The BJP, after orchestrating vertical splits in the Shiv Sena and the NCP by luring over two-thirds of their MLAs to the ruling alliance, applied a very different strategy to dent the Congress in the state. The party went back to a method perfected in the 2014 and 2019 elections of poaching heavyweight opposition leaders from the regions where it is electorally weak.

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The ploy worked well in 2014 and 2019, and the unabashed spree continues in 2024 with over a dozen Congress leaders and a few more from the NCP (Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) reportedly ready to join the ruling alliance before the polls. After inducting about 24 sitting and former MLAs, MLCs and MPs in 2019 and over a dozen in 2014, the target for the 2024 LS polls is to get at least a third of the Congress’ remaining 43 MLAs to quit and join one of the three ruling parties.

“The Congress leaders may not join in a group as happened with the Shiv Sena and NCP,” said a BJP leader. “They will be accommodated in the three ruling parties at different points of time over the next few weeks. This will not attract the provisions of the tenth schedule and will save the BJP from the criticism that it is breaking opposition parties.”

Although Ashok Chavan and other Congress leaders are in talks with BJP state and national leaders, everything is controlled by the central leadership in consultation with the top brass of the RSS. The state leadership has only the responsibility of executing the plan chalked out at Delhi. The role for Ashok Chavan was defined during his meeting with Amit Shah and J P Nadda outside Delhi a few days ago,” said another BJP leader in the know of the developments.

The leader said that Chavan had been assured of a bigger role at the Centre in the new government after the 2024 LS polls and is expected to be fielded in the Rajya Sabha polls as an additional independent candidate supported by the ruling alliance. Chavan has also been assured that his elder daughter, Shrijaya, will be fielded in place of him in his assembly constituency, Bhokar.

“With the splits initiated in the NCP and Shiv Sena in the last 20 months, the party has ensured victories in regions where we were lagging behind,” said a BJP leader. “After the addition of Ajit Pawar, we have strengthened our position in western Maharashtra and now in central Maharashtra because of Ashok Chavan. “The current phase will concentrate on weakening the MVA combine by poaching its powerful leaders.” BJP leaders said that the acquisition of Chavan would weaken the Congress at the national level as well.

Mumbai-based political analyst Hemant Desai said the Chavan coup was a “shortcut” resorted to by the BJP because it was not confident about achieving its target of 370 seats announced by PM Narendra Modi for the LS polls. “Maharashtra is an important state after UP and Bihar,” he said. “By breaking the Congress, the BJP can now improve its poll prospects in central Maharashtra, where Chavan has a strong presence.”