Uddhav Thackeray going far from BJP and closer to Congress-led coalition?

On August 20, Thackeray participated in a meeting of chief ministers of opposition parties and opposition leaders called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and even made a case for a proper strategy to work together.

Barely three months ago, speculation of reunion of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra was rife, following a half-an-hour-long one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The latter had led a state delegation to seek the Centre’s intervention in restoring Maratha quota and other issues on June 8.

Speculations about reunion of BJP and Shiv Sena was rife after Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with PM Narendra Modi around three months ago. (HT FILE)

“Wait and watch!” said a few state BJP leaders after the meeting, pointing out that the Sena was a natural ally of the BJP and nothing could be ruled out.

Thackeray, however, had something else on his mind. On August 20, he participated in a meeting of chief ministers of opposition parties and opposition leaders called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. In this virtual meeting, Thackeray even made a case for a proper strategy to work together, so that people would be convinced that the opposition coalition meant business and the parties were not together only for contesting the elections.

Within four days, Thackeray’s government arrested Narayan Rane, a member of Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet, over a case related to a remark passed by him against the chief minister. The message seems to be clear: Thackeray is not keen to go back to the NDA camp, he is not a pushover and he is ready to take on the BJP.

The bitterness between the two parties that were together in Maharashtra for over 25 years began in 2014, after the BJP won power at the Centre with a thumping victory. They still came together after the 2014 elections, but parted ways over the issue of chief ministership even, after winning the 2019 elections as an alliance. Thackeray went with traditional rivals such as the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the government. Since then, a bitter political tussle is on between the Sena and the BJP.

Ahead of the elections to municipal corporations and district councils, the BJP made its intention clear when it inducted Rane—Thackeray’s biggest critic—as a Union minister. It wanted to target Sena stronghold in Mumbai and Konkan. Rane who spent more than two decades of his political life in the Sena and knows the organization inside out, is expected to counter the Sena and cut it to size. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is a weak point of the Sena as it derives its power and strength from its control over Mumbai. Wresting the BMC from the Sena would deal a severe blow to the party. Knowing this well, the BJP has been planning its strategy and Rane is expected to be a key player in it. Thackeray has struck at the first opportunity, which has sent a signal to his former ally and also galvanized his cadre which loves such atmosphere.

“It is not the first time that Thackeray and Sena have targeted the BJP. They did it on several occasions since 2014, but this time, it is different. Arresting a minister in Modi government is a direct challenge to the Centre,” said a senior NCP minister, on condition of anonymity. “The battlelines are clear now,” he added.

In the run-up to the local body elections, expect a fierce battle between the two parties. “The BJP won’t take the things lightly and will hit back at the Sena. The bitterness is likely to grow,” the above mentioned minister added.

“I think it is impossible that the two parties would come together now. Uddhav Thackeray realised that his political existence was in danger due to the BJP’s growth. That’s why he took a bold decision to form the government with the NCP-Congress. He sees political space in the anti-BJP stand,” opined Surendra Jondhale, a political analyst.

Significantly, even as the BJP and Sena were protesting against each other following Rane episode, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday told mediapersons that he would not rule out any possibility of the BJP and Sena coming together in the future. “We are blood brothers and have a common ideology. Things are not good as of now, but anything can happen,” he said.

The Shiv Sena, however, ruled out any truck with the BJP.

“The Shiv Sena walked out of the alliance over an ethical issue when a promise was not kept. After that, the behaviour of our former ally continued to hurt us. The way the chief minister was individually targeted (by Rane) has angered us. Our former ally made Rane an instrument to target us. I think the coming together is difficult,” said Sena deputy leader and spokesperson Sachin Ahir.

The BJP on Thursday said a reunion with the Sena is not an issue before the party now.

“Realignment with the Sena is not a priority issue for us. Our priority is to raise issues concerning people and agitate against the policies of the three-party government that are hurting the common man. As far as political equations are concerned, we are going ahead independently and gaining strength. We defeated the three-party coalition in Pandharpur assembly byelection, which is a clear indication of it,” said state BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye.