BJP, Sena recruiting leaders from regions where they have no or little presence

Mumbai: The “Mega Bharti” or “Mega Recruitment” drive as some are calling the mass influx of leaders and legislators from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, has a definite pattern to the mad rush. Taking a closer region or district wise look at the former Congressmen and NCP leaders joining the BJP or the Sena, reveals that the BJP has recruited leaders heavily from Satara, Thane and Sindhudurg district’s. On the other hand the Sena has recruited leaders mostly from North Maharashtra and to an extent Marathwada region. Conversely the Congress too has gained two legislators again from Vidarbha region only.

Of the 23 legislators that includes two Lok Sabha MP’s as well who have migrated so far to the BJP or the Sena, they are mostly from Konkan, North Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra regions. The desertions seem to be more from the NCP, followed by the Congress, more to the BJP than to the Sena. The Congress foot-print or electoral presence across the state has dwindled considerably since 2009 elections.

Looking at the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP has virtually no presence in Satara, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg district’s. The Vidarbha region has been the weak-link for the Sena as it has little or no presence thanks to its staunch opposition to separate statehood for the region. As against this the Congress has virtually no presence in Kolhapur district. While the NCP has never been able to break the jinx in Mumbai and its hold over Western Maharashtra is under serious threat from the BJP and the Sena.

The BJP has no presence in Satara district and hence the recruitment of former NCP Lok Sabha MP Udayan Raje Bhosale and Satara MLA Shivendra Raje Bhosale. Likewise it has had virtually no presence in Navi Mumbai region of Thane district and that explains the entry of former NCP leader Ganesh Naik and his clan. For Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil the BJP is a new un-tasted commodity, as he and his late father Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil had been with the Sena between 1995-99. His entry into the BJP now gives the party a presence in that part of North Maharashtra where it has had little presence.

Maharashtra Swabhimani Paksha (MSP) leader Narayan Rane who is already a Rajya Sabha MP on a BJP ticket, is waiting at the doorsteps of the BJP along with his son, Congress MLA Nitesh Rane. By inducting them into the BJP fold the party hopes to make its presence felt in Sindhudurg district and needle the Sena a bit. However, the BJP has not been able to rope in any significantly big leader from Congress or NCP from Ratnagiri district where it has no presence at all.

The Sena seems to be more content in increasing its presence in Marathwada region by acquisition of former Congress legislator Abdul Sattar (Sillod) and ex-NCP legislator Jaydutta Kshirsagar (Beed). The induction of Nirmala Gavit (Igatpuri/North Maharashtra), Bhausaheb Kamble (Shrirampur/North Maharashtra) both Congress and NCPs Avadhut Tatkare (Shrivardhan/Konkan) has bolstered the Sena in these regions. However, the Sena has not been able to rope in any significant leader from Vidarbha region.

Of the 23 legislators from the Congress and NCP who have joined or are on the verge of joining the BJP, Sena, 11 MLAs have joined the BJP and 8 MLAs have joined the Sena. Things have not been that bad for the Congress, as former Sena MLA Suresh Dhanorkar joined the Congress to become its only Lok Sabha MP from Chandrapur. While, former BJP MLA, Dr Ashish Deshmukh had already quit and joined the Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Out of the 11 MLAs to have joined the BJP, six are from the NCP and five are from the Congress. Besides, this ex-NCP Lok Sabha MP Udayan Raje Bhosale has already joined the BJP. While, Narayan Rane is an Rajya Sabha MP on a BJP ticket, though has not as yet formally joined the BJP. Out of the eight Congress, NCP MLAs to join the Sena, five are from the NCP and three are from the Congress. In the coming days after the poll code comes into effect much will depend upon the Sena-BJP alliance talks, in which direction will the exodus head to.