Friends turn foes

Friends turn foes

BJP struggles to break Sena resistance.

Two weeks after assembly elections threw up a hung assembly, the much hyped pre-poll alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena has come a cropper. Scathing criticism of Sena by caretaker chief minister Devendra Fadnavis indicates that ties have soured. It is clear that Shiv Sena, even while accepting fewer seats in the alliance, never reconciled to relegation as junior partner. Its strategy of capitalising on the alliance’s underwhelming performance in the elections to bargain hard, has stumped BJP.

Accepting Sena’s demand for a 50:50 split of ministerial berths and rotation of CMs would be a loss of face for BJP, which has kept all its allies on a tight leash since 2014. However, if BJP fails to form the government despite leading the field by a fair margin, it will be a setback for the party. Talks between Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar have triggered talk of realignment. But the shrewd Pawar will be no less a bargainer. Such a shift by NCP could also force the Hindutva-averse Congress to take sides. Instead of hairsplitting over ideology, Congress could take a leaf out of Pawar’s nimble-footed manoeuvres that have kept BJP on its toes.

Despite surrendering a princely 124 seats to Sena, BJP will also mull the utility of the pre-poll understanding with its seat tally falling from 122 in 2014 to 105 now. The political crisis has diminished Fadnavis and knives could be out over his painstaking efforts to keep Sena in good humour before the elections. A fresh battle of attrition has begun and the biggest challenge for the Thackerays is to maximise their gains in a new government, without overt brinkmanship that could lead to dissolution of the newly elected assembly.