WALKING A TIGHTROPE

NEW MAHARASHTRA CM DEVENDRA FADNAVIS AND THE BJP HAVE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES AT HAND, NOT LEAST OF WHICH IS MANAGING EX-CM EKNATH SHINDE AND HIS SHIV SENA

- Dhaval S. Kulkarni

IN June 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sprang a surprise by choosing Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde as the chief minister of Maharashtra, with their own Devendra Fadnavis, in whose cabinet the former was a minister from 2014-19, as his deputy. Though it was speculated that Fadnavis would be doing some backseat driving in the government, that was not to be. Shinde soon came into his own in terms of politics and policy, something that led to tensions within the ruling Mahayuti combine.

The wheel has now come full circle for both. Two and a half years ago, Fadnavis found himself having to propose Shinde's name for head of government. The Mahayuti's swashbuckling victory, with 230 of the 288 seats in the assembly amassed in its balance, could not go without credit being given to Shinde as its leader. But as a reward, he found himself cornered into having to return the favour to Fadnavis, nominating him for chief minister. Fadnavis will now rule Maharashtra for a third time. He has already set a few records of his own, being the first CM to complete a full five-year term (2014-19) after Vasantrao Naik (1967-72), also the one with the shortest tenure (five days in November 2019). But despite the BJP putting up its best-ever show in Maharashtra with 132 seats and all but obliterating the Opposition-none of the three parties in the rival Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have enough numbers to even stake claim to the post of the leader of the Opposition-Fadnavis will be walking a tightrope on the political and administrative front.