Seat talks spark unease in BJP-led Mahayuti bloc

Fissures within Maharashtra’ ruling three-party alliance bubbled to the surface on Thursday as some dissidents filed nominations against official candidates

Mumbai: Fissures within Maharashtra’ ruling three-party alliance bubbled to the surface on Thursday as some dissidents filed nominations against official candidates and others fired salvos at coalition partners, prompting further delays in the announcement of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and compelling top leaders to intervene and calm the waters.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde flanked by deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar in Mumbai earlier this month. (HT Photo)

Chief minister Eknath Shinde, along with his two deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, spent the day engaged in damage control after a number of leaders expressed opposition against the Mahayuti’s official Lok Sabha nominees.

The dissension came just a day after tensions erupted in the Opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi, after the Shiv Sena named candidates for 17 seats, including two that the Congress also had laid claim to.

Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met Shinde faction leader and former MLA Vijay Shivtare in Mumbai late on Wednesday and tried to pacify him. Shivtare had said that he would fight from Baramati against ruling alliance’s candidate Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit.

The trio succeeded in pacifying Shivtare, who is expected to announce his unconditional support to Sunetra Pawar, said Shinde faction spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat. Baramati is set to see an epic clash between sitting MP Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar.

But more dissident voices erupted within the ruling coalition. Prahar Janashakti chief Bachchu Kadu, who is an Independent MLA supporting Sena, is opposing the BJP’s Navneet Rana, whose candidature was announced from Amravati.

Kadu said that his party would not work for Rana. Leaders from Shinde and Ajit Pawar camp too are not too keen on supporting Rana, who won as an independent in 2019 but was mired in controversy over Hanuman Chalisa row. “CM will have a separate meeting with Kadu in next few days to persuade him to support the ruling combine candidate. We are sure that by the day of filiing nomination, everybody will be on the same page in Amravati,” said a BJP leader, requesting anonymity.

Shinde camp’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad also filed his nomination from Buldhana, where party leader Prataprao Jadhav is the sitting MP. Jadhav was announced as the official candidate of the Mahayution Thursday evening. “Gaikwad will withdraw the nomination,” said Sanjay Shirsat, spokesperson of the Shinde camp.

CM Shinde is expected to speak to Gaikwad in a couple of day to convince him to withdraw the nomination.

The Shinde camp also expressed its displeasure over other two allies (the BJP and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP) staking claim over some seats. The BJP has announced 24 candidates, the Shinde faction of the Sena eight and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP two. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats.

“The confusion is being created over the constituencies held by us. The BJP is staking claim on seats held by us and also announced candidates on 20 seats. We adhered to the dharma of alliance and waited till the differences were resolved. Auranagabad, Parbhani, Washim, Osmanabad, Hingoli are our constituencies that are being demanded (by BJP) by citing negative survey reports for us. It is time to make or break,” said Shinde faction leader and former state minister Arjun Khotkar.

Khotkar also spoke against Union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve, who is Mahayuti’s candidate from Jalna. Danve and Khotkar were at loggerheads over the candidature in the 2019 LS polls when the BJP and undivided Sena fought in alliance.

Khotkar supporters had opposed Danve’s candidature last week. “I have assured Danveji to fully support him in the election, but he continues with his grudges against me,” he said.

Leaders from the three ruling parties have planned to forge a truce. “The dissident voices by the leaders from the ruling allies are also part of the strategy by the parties to put pressure on the allies during the seat sharing talks. The BJP tried to put pressure on the sharing of the seats citing the negative survey reports against our sitting MPs. The statements by our leaders like Khotkar and act of filing of nomination by Gaikwad from Buldhana is part of the strategy,” a Shinde camp leader said, requesting annonymity.

Sena leader Sanjay Shivtare said that everything will settle down soon. “There were dissident voices as the leaders prepare for the five years, but it will settle down soon. Vijay Shivtare will support the official candidate of the ruling alliance and the official announcement will be done by him soon. CM has discussed the constituency related issues with him and settled them. Similarly, we will be able to pacify Khotkar and we will work unitedly for the alliance candidates.”