Decision to make Shinde CM boosts credibility of rebellion over ‘Hindutva’ while deflecting criticism that BJP actively toppled MVA govt.
@the_news_21
Mumbai: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister and senior party leader Devendra Fadnavis’ decision of giving the post of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister to rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has given a new twist to the State’s political crisis worthy of a thriller, while demolishing the predictions of political pundits.
In one stroke, Devendra Fadnavis, by not choosing to be the Chief Minister himself, has checkmated the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena camp by not only making a Shiv Sainik the Chief Minister, but deflecting the criticism that the BJP had toppled the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government by instigating the revolt within the Sena.
The move has undercut the ‘moral legitimacy’ gained by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose emotional addresses of the past week had won him sympathy among large sections of the public after the CM plaintively spoke of being “stabbed in the back by his own partymen” while being ironically supported by his MVA allies, the NCP and the Congress – who have otherwise been the Sena’s traditional ideological rivals.
In one of his addresses during the crisis before his resignation, Uddhav Thackeray had remarked that, “if I were to step down, then can you (BJP) guarantee another Shiv Sainik will be Chief Minister?” It was widely assumed that once the MVA government fell, Devendra Fadnavis would step in to be the next Chief Minister while Eknath Shinde would be offered the Deputy CM’s post.
It was a ‘coup’, by which Fadnavis has certainly deflated that claim by making Eknath Shinde, a member of the Maratha community, the new next CM. The move will also strengthen Fadnavis’ standing among the Maratha community, as the MVA had faced tremendous flak for failing to fight hard for the community’s interests in the Supreme Court after the latter scrapped the Maratha quota law.
Amidst the nine-day ‘regime change’ drama, the suddenness of the Sena revolt on June 21, and the subsequent ferrying of the rebel MLAs from one BJP ruled State to another (first Surat in Gujarat, then Guwahati in Assam and then finally Panaji in Goa) had exposed the rebel camp led by Eknath Shinde and the BJP to charges of crass political opportunism, with the actions of the rebels being motivated by either lucre or the pressure of central investigation agencies.
According to a Mumbai based political analyst, following Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘stab in the back’ remark, there was a potential of the rank-and-file Shiv Sainiks rallying around Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray in the near future.
“However, by staying out of power and nominating Eknath Shinde as CM, Fadnavis has lent credibility and justification to the moves of the rebel camp. The whole change of government can now be justified as having been a fight over ideals by giving it a ‘Hindutva’ gloss,” he added.
The rebel Sena MLAs, still holed out in rain-hit Goa, were jubilant after the announcement of Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister.
Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar, the spokesperson of the Shinde faction remarked, “Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream of having an ordinary Shiv Sainik on the chair has come true with the help of BJP and Devendra Fadnavis. We will now take the ideals of Hindutva forward.”
The announcement of Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister has also quelled several restive sections within the Shiv Sena, who are now more likely to embrace the Shinde camp. The move by Fadnavis has now virtually isolated the Thackeray family. The actions of the rebels, who have been claiming they were doing it to save the party of Balasaheb Thackeray, has suddenly been justified.
It is also expected to help resolve potential legal complications like fighting over the Sena bow and arrow election symbol. According to sources, a significant number of the Sena MPs are said to be with the Shinde camp giving it a greater claim to be the real Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray than the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray.
The rebel coterie has repeatedly accused Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Minister Anil Parab, part of the Thackeray ‘inner circle’, as being responsible for widening the gulf between Uddhav Thackeray and the MLAs.
“With both Sanjay Raut and Anil Parab under the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) scanner, the BJP has cleverly ensured that the prosecution by central agencies will go on under a Chief Minister of the Sena (Shinde), who is unlikely to raise a finger in protest. If both Raut and Parab are to go the way of (NCP leaders now in jail) Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, this will further weaken the Thackeray camp,” said another political observer.
