Vaze-Deshmukh controversy: United in Maharashtra govt, divided during crisis

Amid allegations of corruption, malpractices and deteriorating law and order situation, the rift between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, and their lack of coordination has come to the fore

The past five weeks have been the most challenging in the 16-month rule of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Amid allegations of corruption, malpractices and deteriorating law and order situation, the rift between the ruling parties – Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress – and their lack of coordination has come to the fore. Insiders in the MVA believe lack of strategy and ability to take quick decision has led a series of embarrassments for the Thackeray government.

The three parties in the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government did not have a clear strategy to fight the controversies. Their face-saving measures, too, came very late, believe insiders. (HT File)

It started with the leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis cornering the MVA government on the Antilia explosives scare and subsequent death of the trader in whose car the explosives were found, Hiran Mansukh, in the first week of March. First, the probe was transferred to the National Investigation Agency, followed by allegations by a former Mumbai police commissioner against the home minister leading to a Central Bureau of Investigation probe. There has been no end to setbacks since then. By dismissing the petition of state and former home minister Anil Deshmukh against the Bombay high court’s ruling of handing over the probe to the CBI, the apex court has given another shock to the Thackeray government. A day ago, a leaked letter by Vaze left the Shiv Sena, and in turn the MVA government, red-faced as it had named leaders for demanding extortion.

“The MVA did not have a clear strategy as a coalition. Each party is defending itself as and when it is at the receiving end. In the Deshmukh controversy, the Shiv Sena or Congress did not come defend the home minister vehemently. There should have put up a joint defence,” said a senior NCP minister.

He also said no steps were taken to give a clear message to the administration that those who sympathise with the previous regime should not work against the interest of the current regime. “This time, not the opposition, but our own officers challenged those in power. Besides Singh and Vaze, Rashmi Shukla’s leaked report on ‘money for police transfers’ resulted in great embarrassment. The government failed to take stern action against the two officers for insubordination, false allegations and misguiding the government. In case of allegations by former top cop Param Bir Singh, the committee under the retired judge should have been constituted much earlier, as it would have helped stop the central agency from taking over the probe,” the minister said.

He said the damage control exercise, under which two ministers – Nawab Malik and Jitendra Awhad – speak about the allegations of police transfers, came too late. The leader added that the allegations of corruption caused more damage compared to the women-related instances against Dhananjay Munde and Sanjay Rathod. “Forget these cases, even in Sushant Singh Rajput and Kangana Ranaut cases, the response of the state government was too slow. The government could survive the attacks because the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak and they were in their early months,” a senior IAS officer said.

Political analyst Hemant Desai said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party has, it seems, decided to attack the state tooth and nail. They have been targeting Uddhav Thackeray and key leaders around him to destabilise the government, but at the same time the MVA government is lagging in the strategy to combat it. The three-party government is lacking in proper coordination, which could have helped them.”

According to a Congress leader, the party chose to remain a mute spectator, as it would have led to tainting their image.

Fadnavis alleged on Thursday that the shortage of vaccination is being deliberately politicised to divert the attention from the beating the government has received in scams and judicial rulings.