Is the BSS-BJP alliance heading for the rocky days?

Earlier this week, when agriculture minister Abdul Sattar drew flak from almost all parties for his abusive remarks against NCP MP Supriya Sule, the BJP did not bother to defend the loudmouth minister from the Shinde faction

Mumbai: Frequent sniping between leaders of the Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Shinde’s demand for equal power-sharing, poaching of leaders from each other’s ranks, the BJP eyeing constituencies held by elected representatives affiliated to Shinde, and reports of rising discontent from BSS legislators overlooked for ministerial berths. Are the fissures within the BSS-BJP alliance becoming apparent?

Mumbai, Nov 03 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis indulge in a conversation during a programme of awarding of appointment letters under State level employment fair to the first phase candidates, at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, in Mumbai on Thursday. (ANI Photo) (Deepak Salvi)

Earlier this week, when agriculture minister Abdul Sattar drew flak from almost all parties for his abusive remarks against NCP MP Supriya Sule, the BJP did not bother to defend the loudmouth minister from the Shinde faction. In fact, several BJP legislators were irked that such utterances were showing up the ruling alliance in a bad light. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made it clear that he would not support any such remarks although he added that the use of snide terms such as ‘50 khoke’ ( ₹50 crore) by Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders was triggering such reactions.

A week ago, the duel between independent Amravati MLA Ravi Rana, who is perceived to be close to Fadnavis and fellow law-maker Omprakash (Bacchu) Kadu brought the bitterness within the ruling camp out into the open. Rana threatened to assault Kadu, head of the Prahar Janshakti Party, who had jumped ship from the MVA to the BSS during the split in the party in June.

The assault threat was the culmination of the war of words that the two legislators had been involved in earlier. Rana had taken a potshot at Kadu, saying that Shinde’s men were offered ₹50 crore to switch loyalties. The acrimonious exchange between the two necessitated the intervention of Shinde and Fadnavis—Rana, however, kept up his verbal volley despite this attempt at calling a truce.

A leader from Shinde’s party conceded that Rana’s vitriolic attack may have had covert backing from the BJP. “This is because Kadu’s seat, Achalpur, is a constituency that has been traditionally contested by the BJP. It wants to wrest this seat from Bacchu bhau,” he noted. The leader said that this also seemed to be an effort to undercut Shinde’s influence—Kadu was brought into the MVA and made a minister of state on Shinde’s initiative.

Many incidents have set the two partners at loggerheads in the last four months. Days before the Kadu-Rana verbal fisticuffs, Shinde had demanded that half the ministerial berths in the cabinet expansion be given to the BSS before the legislature’s winter session. “Even today we have nine ministers each. This pattern will be continued in the expansion,” Shinde said, while speaking to reporters informally last week. His faction is also insisting on the twelve seats to the state legislative council from the governor’s quota being shared equally.

The BJP, however, is opposed to the idea of equal power-sharing. “The ratio should be based on the number of MLAs on each side,” averred a senior BJP minister. “Even the united Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray had been given 13 berths in 2014 when they won 63 seats. They were given 16 berths in 2019 in the MVA government when the seat tally of the party was 56. The Shinde camp, which has 40 MLAs, cannot demand the same number of cabinet berths as the BJP which has 106 MLAs. Per the formula finalised before we formed the government, we will have 26 to 27 ministers while the Shinde camp will have 16 to 17.”

Fadnavis, when questioned, tried to downplay Shinde’s demand with humour. “It is our trade secret,” he said. “We will discuss it at the right time.”

Other differences between the chief minister and deputy chief minister have also emerged over the past few weeks. One of these is with regard to the transfer of a few IPS officers in key postings, which resulted in the transfers being delayed. The Shinde camp is also uneasy about what it perceives as the BJP’s drive to strengthen its own base in 16 Lok Sabha constituencies and 98 assembly segments, some of which are currently held by lawmakers from the BSS. Currently, Union ministers and top BJP leaders have been roped in for campaigning and are taking stock of these constituencies, an act which has not gone down well with Shinde’s party.

The BJP, on its part, also has grievances—the party’s MLAs have complained to their leadership about the unequal sharing of development funds by urban and rural development departments held by the CM.

“The bickering in the two ruling parties is expected to escalate during the cabinet expansion and the ratio of berths handed out may lead to the tipping point,” said a BJP leader. “The share in budgetary allocation, appointments on statutory boards and corporations, sharing of seats during elections are the other areas which could trigger more infighting.”

Shinde camp spokesperson Naresh Mhaske, however, denied that there were disputes between the BSS and the BJP. “There is no disgruntlement,” he said. Maharashtra BJP vice-president Madhav Bhandari added, “There are always differences over contentious issues between ruling allies in every alliance. They have no significance beyond news reports and will not affect the government in any manner.”

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Trajectory of skirmishes

July 2022: Squabbles in allocation of funds

Mid-September 2022: Devendra Fadnavis upbraided agriculture minister Abdul Sattar for announcing state government schemes out of turn

September 2022: BJP roped in Union ministers in constituencies held by MPs from the BSS

Third week of October 2022: Differences over postings and transfers of IPS officers

Last week of October 2022: War of words between Ravi Rana and Bacchu Kadu