MVA reasserts unity as Ajit's men trickle back to Sharad Pawar

As the Congress leaders from Maharashtra met in Mumbai today after the split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the only thing that was clear was that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) continues to remain intact.

After the NCP split, the Congress becomes the single largest party in the Assembly and legally, the post of leader of the opposition should go to them. While there was mention of the fact, Congress leaders seemed in no hurry to press for that job.

This would be for two reasons.

It is not yet certain whether Ajit Pawar has managed a two-thirds split in the party or will be compelled to merge his faction with the BJP, given that the men he had claimed were with him are returning in drips and dribbles to Sharad Pawar’s side. Secondly, every prominent leader in the state Congress is at loggerheads with the others, and there is no cohesion and unity among them.

Knowing that their party president and the Gandhis are constantly in touch with Sharad Pawar and that a second meeting to align the Opposition against the Centre will go ahead in Bangalore later this month, no local Congress leader wants to take advantage of the crisis in the NCP at this moment.

State Congress chief Nana Patole asserted that the MVA continues to be united and that the Congress will soon begin a series of joint rallies across Maharashtra to reinforce that picture of unity to the people.

It has taken much less time for Sharad Pawar to hit the streets than it did Uddhav Thackeray in similar straits, and the upsurge in support that he has received has made it clear to all, including the BJP and the NCP faction, that they may have only made a minor dent in the MVA, for the spirits among the allies continue to be high. 

The fact that the takeover of the NCP has not been as smooth as Ajit Pawar had hoped is clear from the fact that while he showcased a handful of OBC, tribal and Dalit leaders as his supporters after his swearing in, these are all the kind who may not be able to even retain their deposits, let alone win their seats at the next elections, without Sharad Pawar’s support.

As against this tokenism, there was genuine support for Pawar Sr, as he began his journey to rebuild his party. This has now caused disquiet in Ajit Pawar’s ranks, including among these token trophy leaders.

Moreover, the manner in which he and Praful Patel are “sacking” Sharad Pawar’s appointees from party posts, while at the same time being unable to take over the party offices across the state, is another matter that is not going down well with the bulk of party workers. In fact, there were clashes between the two groups as Ajit Pawar attempted to hold a meeting in the party office. Ultimately, the event had to be called off.

While Sharad Pawar may have an uphill task identifying suitable replacements for the stalwarts that have quit the party, many of those  ranged with Ajit Pawar at the moment are said to be in intense conflict with BJP rivals in their respective constituencies for years. That is something that the BJP too will have to resolve, unless they are to precipitate a return of the NCP men to Sharad Pawar.

Meanwhile, it is Eknath Shinde’s immediate fate that hangs in the balance. The speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly will have to soon decide on the disqualification of 18 MLAs, including Shinde, which the Uddhav Thackeray group has been pressing for. While there was a meeting between the speaker and the deputy chief minister on Monday, July 3, it is not quite clear which way the decision is likely to go. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut has hinted that they will all be disqualified and Shinde replaced as chief minister.

It is not clear who will be chief minister next, though Ajit Pawar’s name is being bandied about. However, the BJP is unlikely to hand over the state to a headstrong person like Ajit Pawar, who could later destroy their own standing with the masses.