Humongous reception to Ajit Pawar & Dhananjay Munde takes away the spot light from Uncle Pawar and CM Thackeray

Mumbai: Graffiti on the wall: Picture Abhi Baki Hai, Mere Dost! (The film is not over yet, my friend!)

These days it is all about Box Office collections. In Political Theatre, it is all the more important.

It requires a deft Editor, to string the raw film footage to string a scene, a story.

And here are those four footages of the flick that has hit the Maharashtra Political Multiplex.

Savor these four scenes –

Place: Nagpur

When: December 2019

Occasion: Shiv Sena party convention

Attendance: Few thousands party men from all over Vidarbha!

Cut to –

Place: Aurangabad

When: January 2020

Occasion: Two day visit by CM and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray

Attendance: Few thousand supporters from Aurangabad and across Marathwada, the only party bastion outside Mumbai.

Cut to –

Place: Baramati.

When: January 2020

Occasion: Visit by NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar minus Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule.

Attendance: Several lakh supporters from across Baramati Vidhan Sabha Constituency.

Cut to –

Place: Beed

When: January 2020

Occasion: Visit by Dhananjay Munde

Attendance: Few lakh supporters from across the Beed Vidhan Sabha Constituency. More than four hours to reach the venue of public felicitation.

Inference: Warning bells for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.

If the above political flashback gives you any indication, the political drama in the state seems to be far from ending, even after formation of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Though Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray appear to have last laugh in the entire exercise, their worries seem to have just begun. The massive reception Ajit Pawar got at Baramati and Dhananjay Munde got at Parli-Vaijanath, in Beed on Friday is indicative that worries for Sharad Pawar and Thackeray have just begun.

Ajit Pawar visited Baramati on Friday for the first time after becoming the Deputy Chief Minister and taking charge of the portfolio allotted to him. It appeared that people from entire Baramati town and adjoining areas had converged to welcome their leader. Interestingly, his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar was nowhere to be seen and it was only Ajit Pawar and his family – wife and two sons. Other star cast of the NCPs first family such as Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar were missing from the event and even the hoardings put up across the city. The grand public reception at Baramati could be seen as a message to uncle Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray that who is real boss.

Similar scenes played out at Beed on Friday where lakhs poured on to the streets to welcome their leader Dhananjay Munde. The reception was as huge as Ajit Pawar got at Baramati. The massive crowd gathered at Beed as well as at Bhagvan Gadh is definitely a major reason to worry for many, especially Sharad Pawar.

The public reception of Ajit Pawar and Dhanajnay Munde was so spectacular that raises question mark over the argument that the two were visibly cut to size after the former sided with Devendra Fadnavis for a two-day Tango of a government in November last year. The scenes in Baramati and Beed were akin to any Bollywood flick where the under-dog stole all the limelight from the hero.

Now compare those scenes of jubilation to the scenes of lukewarm response that Uddhav Thackeray got during the party convention at Nagpur last month. Shiv Sena took the opportunity of the Winter Session of the state legislature at Nagpur to organise party convention. It was near flop show as the party could not manage to gather a descent crowd. Days later, it failed yet again to showcase its strength in such a manner at Aurangabad, it’s only bastion outside Mumbai. All this considering the fact that its party chief Uddhav Thackeray is the chief minister of the state.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande does not feel that it is a cause of concern for Uddhav Thackeray or the state government. “Ajit Pawar and Dhananjay Munde getting such a massive reception at their home towns is natural, as they are elected members. It should not be the yard stick for the popularity of other leaders and parties.”

Reacting to lukewarm response to Shiv Sena programmes at Nagpur and Aurangabad, Kayande said, “We have lost ground in Vidarbha over the years due to BJP aggression. We are now gaining it back. As far as Aurangabad event is concerned, it was not a planned show of strength like the ones at Baramati and Beed. No matter how much muscle flexing by Ajit Pawar and Dhananjay Munde, it will not affect the government. The ultimate fact is that Uddhav Thackeray is CM and the government is functioning under the guidance of Sharad Pawar.”

“The massive response to both Ajit Pawar and Dhananjay Munde is definitely a signal for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, only if the later wants to take it. He is trying his best to destroy his own party. One has to understand the significance that both Ajit Pawar and Dhananjay Munde held the show of strength on the same day. There is a lot to it than what meets the eye,” said veteran journalist Bhau Torsekar.

Undoubtedly, the Title Credits of this Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) flick seem to be dominated by Ajit Pawar and Dhananjay Munde, much to the dislike of the other star cast of the MVA.