After spat with Sena over ad, BJP issues gag order to workers

BJP workers have been told to refrain from putting up any posters or banners against the Shiv Sena or its leaders without permission from the district- and state-level leadership. Leaders, on their part, have been instructed not to speak to the media, and leave all statements to authorised spokespersons only.

Mumbai: After the slugfest between the two ruling parties over a political advertisement last week, the BJP has issued a gag order to all its workers and leaders.

Mumbai, India – June 21, 2023: Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra DCM Devendra Fadnavis along with Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar perform yoga to celebrate International Yoga Day at Vidhan Bhavan, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

BJP workers have been told to refrain from putting up any posters or banners against the Shiv Sena or its leaders without permission from the district- and state-level leadership. Leaders, on their part, have been instructed not to speak to the media, and leave all statements to authorised spokespersons only.

The gag order comes after a meeting between chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde’s son, Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde. The meet to call a truce took place after a bitter spat between the two allies over an advertisement issued by CM Shinde, projecting himself as the more popular choice for the next chief minister than the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. The ad also likened Shinde with prime minister Narendra Modi with its slogan ‘Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra’. This upset BJP workers and Fadnavis’ followers, leading to posters and banners being put up in Mumbai and other parts of the state, while a few senior BJP leaders took digs at Shinde and his party.

After leaders from both parties realised that the friction was damaging the political prospects of the alliance, they brokered a truce. “There were rounds of meetings between leaders from both parties,” said a BJP leader requesting anonymity. “The one between the chief minister, deputy chief minister and Shrikant Shinde was the crucial one and took place on the orders of the BJP’s central leadership. Shrikant expressed his displeasure at the way his constituency was being claimed by BJP leaders Ravindra Chavan and Sanjay Kelkar—to which Fadnavis said that the ad issued by the Shiv Sena could not be a solution to an issue about constituencies. He added that such attempts could pose problems to the alliance in future.”

Following the agreement between the trio to not resort to public mudslinging, the BJP has asked its leaders and workers to desist from attacking Shinde camp leaders. “Workers and leaders have been asked not to indulge in poster and banner wars,” said Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule. “They have been directed to seek permission before putting up any poster or speaking on any issue related to our alliance partner.”