Maha Cracks In Mahayuti: Will 'Strategic Alliance' With NCP End Before Maharashtra Assembly Election?

Maharashtra Election: The Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra is staring at a split, with the NCP and Shiv Sena clawing at each other. Will the alliance survive till the upcoming polls?

Maharashtra Election 2024: The rift in the 'Mahayuti', the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, is now out in the open. With the Ajit Pawar-led NCP protesting against the Eknath Shinde government, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena issuing statements against NCP ministers, the "strategic alliance" seems to be nearing an end. If all goes well for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Mahayuti could head to a pre-poll breakup.

Ground reports suggest that even the BJP and RSS cadres are unhappy with Ajit Pawar's NCP. While the leaders of respective parties had been putting up a brave face of unity, the writing on the wall has been clear for some time now — the Mahayuti alliance is not here to stay.

The BJP has time and again managed to slip out of tough questions over its changed attitude towards Ajit Pawar since he brought his band of MLAs to support the government in Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis, who now shares the Deputy CM's chair with Ajit Pawar, had once said: "Ajit Pawar would soon be 'chakki peesing and peesing'," in an allusion to the famous dialogue from the 1975 film 'Sholay'.

However, Fadnavis changed his tone after Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti alliance. He has since maintained: "Anyone allying with the BJP's nationalist interests is welcome as an ally." However, it was clear that the BJP's heart did not lie with Ajit Pawar. 

At the ABP Ideas of India Summit held earlier this year, Devendra Fadnavis said: "We are in strategic alliance with NCP and have an emotional alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena." This was a hint at Ajit Pawar's role in Mahayuti as only a pawn to weaken Sharad Pawar and the MVA.

Now, with NCP's protests over the Shivaji statue collapse and the bickering between Shiv Sena and NCP leaders, Fadnavis's "strategic alliance" seems to be nearing an end.

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Tanaji Sawant's 'Feel Pukish' Near Ajit Pawar Controversy

Tanaji Sawant, Maharashtra minister and leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said on Thursday he felt pukish by the "closeness" of his party with the NCP. Reacting to this, Amol Mitkari, an MLA from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he cannot tolerate such "disrespect". 

Tanaji Sawant, who is also the Maharashtra Chief Minister, said that he has never gotten along with the Congress or the NCP. In a viral video, Tanaji Sawant can be heard saying that he sits next to the NCP leaders in the Mahayuti Cabinet, but vomits after he comes out. "We [Shiv Sainiks] are allergic to them [NCP]," he said.

Tanaji Sawant made the remarks during a public event. He also said that he has completely differed from the NCP since his student days.

'Remove Tanaji Sawant From Mahayuti Cabinet Or...'

Tanaji Sawant's remarks drew sharp reactions from the NCP. Either he stays or the NCP, the party seems to have conveyed to the alliance leadership. NCP MLA Amol Mitkari indicated that the NCP would move away from the alliance if Sawant remained in the Cabinet. Mitkari said he wondered if the responsibility of maintaining the alliance lay only with the NCP and not the other constituents.

Umesh Patil, NCP spokesperson, threatened that the NCP would quit the Cabinet if Sawant was not removed from the government. "If he is not sacked, we should resign from the Mahayuti Cabinet. I request our national president Ajit Pawar and all our senior leaders to quit the Cabinet," Patil was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

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Where Does Ajit Pawar Go From Here?

Political analyst Jai Mrug told ABP Live that Ajit Pawar is the "weakest link in the Mahayuti chain" and could be a liability in the upcoming election. "Ajit Pawar brings in a following with his personal aura. But how much of it would translate to NCP's vote kitty is doubtful," Mrug said.

Mrug further said that while the NCP would continue to remain a part of the Mahayuti, at least till the upcoming Maharashtra polls, Ajit Pawar is likely to stitch an alliance with his uncle Sharad Pawar in the long run. Commenting on the possible poll results, he said Mahayuti is likely to rake in 125-130 seats while the MVA may edge ahead with 145-150 seats.

How Do The Alliances Stand At The Moment

The cracks in the Mahayuti couldn't have come at a worse time. With the alliance still licking its wounds from the Lok Sabha poll results and the government dealing with the Maratha reservation protests, the infighting has come at the worst possible time.

The Maharashtra elections are due in November and both the ruling and Opposition alliances are yet to decide on the seat-sharing. However, the Maha Vikas Aghadi parties seem to be moving ahead in sync, while the Mahayuti partners are squabbling among themselves.

Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar have already given up claims to the CM's chair, putting the ball in the Congress's court. While Uddhav said he would back any Congress or NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate, the NCP patriarch said no one in his party was interested in the CM's post. The Congress has remained silent on the matter, with the party's Maharashtra chief Nana Patole saying it would be discussed at an MVA meeting later.

The Mahayuti, meanwhile, appears to be in pieces with the NCP (Ajit Pawar) protesting against its own government and the BJP-RSS cadre refusing to campaign for Ajit. The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, seems to have overcome the initial disgruntlement with the BJP after the Lok Sabha election performance. However, only a clear seat-sharing formula or the announcement of a CM face will make the situation clear.