Mumbai: There seems to be no end in sight for the trials and tribulations for the Shiv Sena led tetrapod of a government in Maharashtra seems to be from from ending soon.
Unhappiness over portfolio allocation, several MLAs from Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (SS) are not shying away from exhibiting their intentions. Some are even defying the party dictate to align with whichever opposition parties they want to for political gains.
Even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is trying to master the tight rope walk to run the government smoothly, he has been facing road blocks every now and then. After somehow pacifying disgruntled party MLA Abdul Sattar, Thackeray is in for yet another hurdle. His arch rival and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane has claimed that almost half of the Shiv Sena MLAs are not satisfied with the party leadership and could take a major decision anytime. He also claimed that BJP will return to power in the state very soon.
Meanwhile, the unrest in NCP has once again come to fore with party leader Jaysinh Mohite Patil dared the leadership to act against Ajit Pawar first, after party leadership expelled six Zilla Parishad members from Solapur for antiparty activities.
Patil said, “Party leadership should take action against Ajit Pawar and then consider taking action against our supporters. Ajit Pawar had joined hands with Devendra Fadnavis and took oath of Deputy Chief Minister. No action was taken against him. Similarly, what action was taken against the NCP leaders who worked against Deepak Salunkhe.” Recently, the NCP expelled six Zilla Parishad members, loyal to Mohite Patil for supporting BJP in recently conducted local bodies elections.
While NCP is struggling to keep its flock together, Shiv Sena too, is sailing in the same boat. The dissatisfaction over portfolio allotment, has hit the party badly. Unhappy over not having included in the cabinet, Shiv Sena leader from Osmanabad Tanaji Sawant helped BJP in local body elections. Accusing of antiparty activities, Shiv Sena leadership has sacked Lakshmikant Thonge-Patil office bearer of the Osmanabad unit of the party and a Sawant loyalist.
Sawant was hoping a ministerial berth in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and was unhappy at being overlooked by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. He had demanded MVA candidature for his nephew for the post of vice president of Osmanabad Zilla Parishad. He openly sided with BJP when his demand was not met.
Congress too, is not untouched by dissent. After Vijay Wadettiwar, now it is the turn of Balasaheb Thorat who has begun dropping hints at being unhappy with the decision to make him the guardian minister of Kolhapur district. He has written to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressing his inability to continue as guardian minister of the district. With discontent brewing rapidly the leaders of this tetrapod government are sure to run into trouble in days to come.
