‘ED action on Uddhav Thackeray’s relative leaves no room for BJP-Sena reunion’

The BJP, through the central agencies, had been closing in on Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who had junked the alliance due to a dispute over sharing of the chief minister’s post in November 2019.

Mumbai: Hours before the news of Enforcement Directorate (ED) attaching 11 properties of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s brother-in-law Shridhar Madhav Patankar broke, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had made a statement saying there was no chance of any reconciliation between the Sena and BJP. The action against Patankar, Rashmi Thackeray’s brother, on Tuesday, more or less, seals any remaining scope of rapprochement between the former allies.

As Sena and BJP parted ways in late 2019, the sourness grew. (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

The BJP, through the central agencies, had been closing in on Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who had junked the alliance due to a dispute over sharing of the chief minister’s post in November 2019. Many leaders close to Thackeray, including Sanjay Raut and Anil Parab, have been on the radar of federal agencies. But action against Patankar holds significance as this is the first time the agencies acted against a relative of Thackeray.

The relationship between the saffron allies--Shiv Sena and BJP--had been rocky even when they had an alliance government in Maharashtra between 2014 and 2019. As Sena and BJP parted ways in late 2019, the sourness grew.

In the last two years, the action from central agencies against Shiv Sena leaders and some of their family members had made the relationship acrimonious, leaving no room for any reconciliation in the future.

Shiv Sena insiders said the Thackeray family was furious over the latest development. The Sena chief, according to a functionary, has vowed to fight hard against the “injustice” by the central agencies. “Naturally, he is angry about how his family members were targeted. He (Patankar) should have been called in for questioning before attaching his properties. However, this has only made his resolve stronger to put up a fight against them (BJP),” said a functionary who did not wish to be named.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur on Tuesday, Raut had said that Sena will not forget vindictive action against its politicians.

Asked if action by central agencies had shut all doors of a patch-up between the former allies, Raut said, “When Shiv Sena takes an extreme stand it doesn’t change. How BJP has created an atmosphere against Sena was not needed. We worked for Hindutva together. We cannot forget the vindictive action taken against us. Those who forget it are not politicians.”

Meanwhile, during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, ministers discussed the issue of the action against leaders from three ruling parties and pressed for the need to hit back in a befitting manner.

“It has become a routine affair in the state now. The leaders from the ruling parties and their relatives are being targeted just out of political motive. The ministers from the three parties believed that it was time to retaliate forcefully. Some of them also said that the action against BJP leaders who were facing corruption charges should be expedited. The ministers said that they were standing behind the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray firmly and he need not worry,” a minister said, requesting anonymity.

Another minister from Congress said that the state government was treading very cautiously as it does not want the action to backfire on the government. The minister said that the CM has decided to firmly retaliate against the action and more action is expected against the BJP leader in the next few days.

Surendra Jondhale, a political analyst, said that not just Shiv Sena, but NCP leaders and their families have also been targeted. “I do not think there would be any political reconciliation between the two parties in the future. Even before action against his brother-in-law, Thackeray had scathingly criticised BJP and RSS on many occasions. It is said that Rashmi Thackeray’s political acumen is good so, she would have known what her husband’s criticism of the BJP would attract,” said Jondhale a former professor of political science at the University of Mumbai.

Jondhale further said that BJP intends to weaken Sena through such actions. “I do not think it will pay any dividends to Modi or BJP. People see through such actions, but so far people are not against BJP. Besides, such action will help Sainiks rally together and support their leader. We saw a similar thing in the case of Sharad Pawar (when he got ED notice) before the 2019 (Assembly) election,” he said.

Thackeray shared a good rapport with prime minister Narendra Modi. When Thackeray was running out of time to get elected to the legislative council in April 2020 or lose his chief ministership, he dialled Modi. Subsequently, elections to the upper house of the legislature were announced and Thackeray was elected unopposed.

In June 2021, when Thackeray-led a delegation to PM Modi, the two leaders, who have referred to each other as brothers, had a closed-door meeting after the official work had ended. The meeting raised eyebrows then, but party insiders said it was a courtesy meeting as Thackeray shared a personal rapport with Modi.

A senior Sena leader said that the BJP had spoilt the political atmosphere in the state through such actions.

“Politics of the south, Uttar Pradesh-Bihar was such where political opponents wouldn’t stand each other. But the culture in Maharashtra was different. Below the belt attacks did not happen here and families were not targeted. There was a boundary,” the leader said, requesting anonymity.