Madhya Pradesh bagged, BJP eyes Maharashtra again

Amit Shah

With 'operation lotus' having achieved the desired results in Madhya Pradesh with Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit from Congress, BJP insiders are hoping for winds of change in Maharashtra, too. The Bharatiya Janata Party's last coup in the state in November hadn't lasted beyond 80 hours but the MP development is likely to put the 100-day-old Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on high alert.

The question is which of the three MVA partners - the Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party - will be on the BJP's hit list first? Sources said creating an MP-like situation in Maharashtra was still a long shot but the BJP was likely to give the Congress some shocks. At least two former MPs from Mumbai are in touch with the BJP. One of them was in New Delhi in the week when MP strongman Jyotiraditya Scindia finalised a deal with the BJP. The first ex-MP held views that did not match the Congress policy and agenda. It is said that if things get sorted, he might be sent to Rajya Sabha (RS) from the Maharashtra BJP's quota. The other has met the BJP top leaders and also wants a RS seat. The BJP will send three members to RS later this month.

"Attempts will be made to unsettle the Congress, the MVA's weakling and unhappy partner. The BJP is waging an independent battle with Sena over ideology but keeping all options, including the Sena's comeback to the saffron fold," said a senior BJP leader.

Uddhav Thackeray

"Ideally it should be breaking one of the ruling parties. But do we have in Maharashtra a leader like Jyotiraditya Scindia, who can take a significant number of MLAs to the BJP? Ajit Pawar made claims of having three dozen MLAs with him but without any success," said a BJP leader.

November fiasco

A source said that the BJP would like to go fool-proof in Maharashtra in order to avoid a November 2019-like embarrassment. Last year, it took the NCP along but the journey ended in 80 hours when NCP's Ajit Pawar changed course by surrendering to his uncle's convincing ways. He did not assume the deputy CM's office under Devendra Fadnavis but returned to the same office a month later in MVA. His surrender not only saved Sharad Pawar from embarrassment but also catalysed the uncertain Congress's participation in the government.

NCP boss Sharad Pawar and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray conceptualised the formation, which state Congress leaders supported against the high command's concerns. The Congress leadership is supposed to be carrying the same concern even now but does not want to upset the power-thirsty pack of MLAs and ministers, who have been unimpressive and deficient in positive and negative disruptions when compared with their Sena and NCP counterparts.

MP, Maha different

The MVA showed up cracks repeatedly but it also pushed with determination a high-stake tripartite arrangement against BJP's crafting of Sena's alienation from the Hindu bloc. To counter the BJP, the MVA partners have given Sena freedom to exercise its saffron agenda. The relaxation should be there as long as it doesn't hit the liberal agenda.

"BJP took over a year to take the Congress government in MP to the brink of collapse. But it could do it in MP because the Congress itself created a fitting situation. In Maharashtra, a lot depends on how stakeholders in the MVA are able to sustain the pressures within their formation and at the same time defend BJP's overt and covert offensive," said a Congress leader.

80hrs
Time the last BJP govt in Maha lasted

Nov 2019
Month the BJP tried to form a govt with NCP's Ajit Pawar

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