Nation Maharashtra Left In The Lurch

THE STATE HEADS FOR PRESIDENT’S RULE AS THE CONGRESS-NCP WEIGH THE MERITS OF EXTENDING SUPPORT TO SENA CHIEF UDDHAV THACKERAY

- Kiran D. Tare

IN 2016, when Ajit Pawar proposed that Uddhav Thackeray join hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress to form an alliance and topple the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena chief developed cold feet. Three years later, it is Thackeray who is reviving the proposal to fulfil his dream of “making a Shiv Sainik chief minister” of India’s richest state.

Thackeray decided to ditch the BJP after Fadnavis claimed on October 30 that his party had never discussed rotating the chief ministership for two-and-a-half-years each. “For the first time, someone has labelled me a liar,” a visibly hurt Thackeray told reporters in Mumbai on November 8, more than two weeks after the Maharashtra assembly verdict threw up no clear winners in the 288-member state assembly. The BJP won 105 seats, the Sena 56, the NCP 54 and the Congress 44. Uddhav claimed BJP president Amit Shah had agreed on the powersharing formula in a closed-door meeting at his residence. “Had they said they would not implement the formula, I would have agreed. Their denying the discussion has upset me, the BJP is a party of liars,” Thackeray said. The parting of ways became formal when he pulled out Arvind Sawant, the lone Sena representative in the Union cabinet, on November 11.