Maharashtra polls: Rebellion in Mahayuti after first lists; Amit Shah steps in
Rebellion within Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti alliance escalates as Shiv Sena and NCP announce candidate lists, prompting BJP's intervention to quell dissent
MUMBAI: The rebellion simmering within the three-party ruling Mahayuti alliance surfaced once again after Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) announced their first lists on Thursday, so much so that Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and union home minister Amit Shah held a meeting between Shinde, Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis in Delhi on the same day, where he asked them to stem any dissent and exercise caution so that poll prospects are not compromised.
BJP, which was first to announce its first list of 99 candidates last Saturday, faced a backlash from some of its leaders who declared their plans to quit the party. The central leadership intervened and managed to persuade some of them like Snehalata Kolhe, in Ahmednagar, to stay put. Many others however quit in a huff, for failing to get nominated from their respective constituencies. Beed district chief Rajendra Mhaske switched over to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, while party leader Amol Balwadkar has filed his nomination against senior party leader Chandrakant Patil from Kothrud, Pune.
The largest political party with 103 sitting MLAs is now facing the rebellion from the candidates from its alliance partners.
BJP’s Bala Bhegade has supported Bapu Bhegade, NCP (SP) candidate from Maval after NCP renominated its sitting MLA Sunil Shelke. In Solapur North, the BJP has renominated its sitting MLA Vijay Deshmukh, only to face the ire of the party’s former mayor Shobha Banshetti, who subsequently filed her nomination as an independent. BJP’s Jat (Sangli) candidate Gopichand Padalkar is facing rebellion from party leader Vilas Jagtap, who is all set to file his nomination as an independent, while the party’s sitting MLA from Sangli Sudhir Gadgil is facing a mutiny from his party colleague Shivaji Dongare.
Candidates from BJP’s alliance partners are also stoking rebellion. After NCP announced renomination of its Chandgad (Kolhapur) MLA Rajesh Patil, BJP aspirant Shivaji Patil quit the party. When state assembly’s deputy speaker and NCP-Ajit Pawar leader Narhari Zirwal was renominated from Dindori, Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Dhanraj Mahale went ahead and filed his nomination as an independent. Shiv Sena candidate from Jalna Arjun Khotkar is facing rebellion from BJP’s Bhaskar Danve, brother of senior BJP leader Raosaheb Danve.
In Nandgaon in Nashik, NCP leader Sameer Bhujbal has announced his nomination as independent against Shinde Sena’s sitting MLA Suhas Kande. In retaliation, Kande filed his nomination against Sameer’s uncle and NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal in neighbouring Yeola constituency.
Closer home, the infighting has extended over a few seats. As Andheri East, Kalina and Versova constituencies are claimed by more BJP and Shiv Sena candidates than NCP, there is a delay in announcement of candidates. NCP and Sena are upset as BJP has opposed their candidates Nawab Malik (Mankhurd-Shivajinagar) and Swikruti Sharma (Andheri East) respectively.
A BJP leader told HT on condition of anonymity: “Of the 182 seats announced by the three parties in the Mahayuti, over 40 have witnessed rebellion or voices of dissent have erupted against the candidates announced by respective parties.” He added that the phenomenon is likely to sustain once the remaining nominations are announced. “This is the reason why parties have decided to delay the remaining lists.”
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule however said, “We have finalised seat sharing for 277 constituencies and the decision on remaining few will be done soon. The second and third lists of the BJP candidates will be announced by the central election committee of the party.” He added that party workers have been “warned not to file nominations until their names were announced in the list”.
Krishna Hegde, Shinde Sena spokesperson said, “We have decided to swap candidates within the ruling alliance in some constituencies with the approval of leaders from respective parties. Where ever there is rebellion, leaders of respective parties are speaking to the rebels; in some cases they have succeeded as well.”