THE ENFORCERS

How the ED became a political tool

- NILEENA MS

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THE MAHARASHTRA ASSEMBLY ELECTION in October 2019 was dramatic. The Bharatiya Janata Party had returned to power at the centre in a massive victory, a few months earlier, and was hoping to see similar success in the various state assembly elections. The Shiv Sena, a regionalist Maratha party, was its oldest ally in Maharashtra, but the two parties were at loggerheads over a number of issues, including the distribution of seats, the chief-ministerial candidate and the power-sharing agreement in the state. Eventually, the Shiv Sena reached out to the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, among other parties, to form a new coalition called the Maha Vikas Aghadi. The BJP saw the move as a betrayal and accused the Shiv Sena of abandoning its traditional ally for the sake of power. Nevertheless, the MVA was able to finally form a government in the teeth of political chaos.

The drama was, however, far from over. The government collapsed, in June 2022, after about forty Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled and joined forces with the BJP. Eknath Shinde, the leader of the rebel faction, eventually took over as chief minister, sparking outrage among politicians from the NCP and the Congress, who made some startling claims. They said that many members of the MVA were asked to support the BJP or face action from investigative agencies.