Uddhav while addressing his party workers FEATURES OPINION o PAGE I had promised Balasaheb that I will make a Shiv REVIEWS Sainik the chief minister of Maharashtra. I have 9 ANALYSIS INTERVIEWS 360 vowed to fulfil this promise. STORY BEHIND THE NEWS DECCAN CHRONICLE MONDAY | 11 NOVEMBER 2019 | HYDERABAD Uddhav Thackeray: The chance to come into his own Sena playing hardball with BJP on rotational chief ministership should not surprise anyone as Uddhav might be eyeing the CM’s post for himself. chief ministership and equal sharing of port- position could also mean that Uddhav may be folios. The BJP has now decided not to stake eyeing the top job for himself. Given the Dr Deepak claim for the government hoping that their volatile scenario right now, Uddhav seems a move may put Uddhav under tight spot. But better choice — with wide experience in Pawar Uddhav is unperturbed. party matters — for the position. Certainly, Another major change this time has been better than Aaditya, who is inexperienced as the arrival of Aaditya Thackeray in the leg- well as a first-term MLA. islative politics — the first from the family. What other choices does Uddhav have? A t is difficult to be Uddhav Thack-eray Many would presume that Uddhav is playing compromise formula with the BJP could still these days. It does not look like he and hard ball for the political future of his son. be an option. his party are going to compromise with That may be true, but that is not the only rea- During the Lok Sabha election, the BJP suc- their long term ally, recent big brother son. cessfully utilised Balakot air strikes for elec- Bharatiya Janata Party. At this junc- A lot of Sainiks do not trust the BJP. toral benefit. However, campaigning on the Iture, it is imperative to understand the Sena Whether it is on the issue of Ram Mandir or abrogation of Article 370 in the Assembly chief ’s mind and find out whether he under- Uniform Civil Code, the consensus between election did not help it. In fact, it back- stands the minds of ‘Sainiks’ in particular the two parties has been more or less superfi- fired. and electorate in Maharashtra in general. cial. There is also a growing fear in the minds Keeping in mind the fact that the Since the 1990s, Uddhav has remained a key of the Opposition in Maharashtra that the Sena would remain a regional party, political player, initially in the Shiv Sena and BJP not only wants to win elections, but also Uddhav can effectively distance later in state politics. But he had to face his himself from the BJP and cousin Raj — widely considered by Sainiks attempt to strengthen his party and public at large as Thackeray senior’s suc- as a regional force. Much of it cessor. However, Thackeray senior took the The Sena’s desire for depends on whether he is able decision in favour of his son, leading to Raj to keep his people together. forming the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. the chief minister’s With large scale defection A lot of people hoped and anticipated that to the BJP, just before the the Sena would collapse after the death of position could also mean Assembly election, not Thackeray senior. The fact that the party has helping political turn- not just survived but flourished in certain that Uddhav may be coats, it is very diffi- areas speak volumes about Uddhav’s leader- eyeing the top job for cult to break any ship and managerial qualities. What he major political party, lacked in oratory has been compensated himself. Given the volatile including the Sena. through his networking skills and creation of This provides an a new generation of leaders. scenario right now, opportunity for In comparison, the MNS, after a promising Uddhav to go performance in 2009, is on the fringes of Uddhav seems a better back to his Maharashtra politics. Although the ruling party’s old Congress-NCP used the MNS to neutralise choice — with wide roots — the the Sena, what really demolished the Raj-led politics of party was its untimely hobnobbing with experience in party ‘Marathi Narendra Modi-led BJP. Probably, Uddhav Manoos’ and doesn’t want to repeat the same mistake. matters — than an the Marathi As long as Thackeray senior was alive, he language. was the ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’. However, inexperienced Aaditya, The politics of since 2014, the BJP’s deadly combination of who also heads the Yuva Hindutva and the Hindutva and development has unsettled one politics of ‘Marathi and all, including the Sena. Using every pos- Sena. Manoos’ are antithetical. Shiv sible medieval jargon Sena wanted to remain Sena can’t play both. With the BJP the ‘big brother’ in the alliance. However, and the Sangh Parivar monopolising despite maintaining the façade of friendship, intends to destroy Opposition parties as well the Hindutva space, it is high time the Modi-Shah dispensation made serious as its allies like Shiv Sena. This gripping fear that Uddhav brings his party back on attempts to demolish the Sena. The Sena and the consequent retaliation are behind track. The Sena’s tag line during the returned the favour by following the innova- Uddhav’s tough stance today. Assembly campaign was ‘Hich ti vel (this tive model of ‘Opposition in government’. It Amid the political uncertainty in is the moment)’. That is the message for participated in the government and through Maharashtra, the alternative of a Sena-NCP the Sena and Uddhav — if only they want its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ routinely criti- government backed by the Congress from to listen. cised the government. outside looks like a possibility. But the ques- Since the results were announced on tion is: Is Uddhav willing to snap ties with the (Dr Pawar is a political commentator October 24, the Sena has been playing hard- BJP at the Centre? and teaches politics at the University of ball with the BJP on the issue on rotational The Sena’s desire for the chief minister’s Mumbai.) Shades of ‘85 in 2019 verdict Tussle over power sharing sour APRAMEYA RAO EERILY SIMILAR Uddhav’s ties with Fadnavis he counting of votes on October BHAGWAN PARAB 24 resulted in a comfortable Tmajority for the pre-poll alliance n June this year, on Shiv Sena’s between the Bharatiya Janata Party 53th foundation day, now care- and the Shiv Sena. Yet, a pall of gloom Itaker chief minister Devendra enveloped the saffron camp – and for Fadnavis told the gathering, “He good reason. (Uddhav Thackeray) is like my Having failed to achieve the target of elder brother.” winning over 220 seats in the Interestingly, Mr Fadnavis Assembly, the saffron alliance also became the first non-Sena leader to ended up losing ground to a resurgent address the annual event, clearly Opposition led by Nationalist underlining the excellent cama- Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad raderie between him and the Sena Pawar. chief. It seemed like both had The below-par performance of the buried their differences for good saffron alliance and the remarkable 1984 LS Polls ‘85 VS Polls 2019 LS Polls 2019 VS Polls and were destined for another five- resilience shown by the Pawar-led year rule in Maharashtra after the Opposition were the two main take- Cong (I) 42/48 161/288 BJP-Sena 41/48 161/288 Vidhan Sabha polls. However, aways from the 2019 Assembly election much has changed since then. results. Nevertheless, these two take- Cong (S) 1/48 54/288 NCP 4/48 54/288 Bitterness has now replaced com- aways resemble closely the ones passion, while trust has given way I did not expect this I again want to make type of betrayal from it clear that it was observed after the 1985 Assembly elec- After 1985 polls, Pawar In 2019, Pawar’s NCP is likely to to mistrust. Both leaders have tion results were announced. launched such a scathing attack him (Devendra never decided that became the LoP in Assembly. stake claim to LoP’s post. against each other that the door for Fadnavis). He is a the CM’s post will be Dip after splendid LS reconciliation now looks closed for- liar. I had promised shared. There was never a performance ers by pitching Mr Gandhi as ‘TINA’ between the two elections – Mr Pawar. ever. The vitriolic language has In what can only be termed as an (There Is No other Alternative). Three Despite his advancing age and the only suggested that the malice is Balasaheb that there would decision on this issue. Even eerie numerical co-incidence, the pre- decades later, the BJP’s attempt to existential threat to his party, the much deeper, perhaps beyond be a Shiv Sena chief minister (BJP chief) Amit Shah ji and poll saffron alliance in 2019 as well as make the state election into a referen- Maratha strongman proved to be a repair. one day, and I will fulfill that (senior BJP leader) Nitin the Congress (I) in 1985 won 161 seats. dum on the Centre’s Kashmir policy solid opponent, helping his party win The breakdown of ties between promise. I don’t need Amit Gadkari ji said this was The backstory of both electoral per- (Read abrogation of Article 370) came 54 seats. In yet another numerical co- Mr Thackeray and Mr Fadnavis is formances also had several parallels. to a cropper. incidence, the Pawar-led Congress surprising, given their match Shah and Fadnavis for that. never decided. In the December 1984 Lok Sabha Rebel trouble (Socialist), too, had won 54 seats in always looked as one made in polit- — UDDHAV THACKERAY, — DEVENDRA FADNAVIS, polls, held in the aftermath of former Ahead of the Assembly polls in 1985, 1985.