There was a period of multi-starrer films in Hindi cinema in the 1970s and 80s. In films like Amar Akbar Anthony, the formula of making a superhit by bringing three big stars in one film is still remembered, but in such films, where all the stars worked together, no one gets the credit for the scenes that kept the crowd engaged. It was difficult to give one star. Despite this, the audience knew that Amitabh Bachchan got the most effective scenes in this film.
Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Maharashtra is facing a similar situation today. This alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress was formed in 2019 under special political circumstances. This alliance was formed when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started ‘Operation Lotus’.
In 2019, this alliance kept the BJP out of power and made Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray the chief minister of Maharashtra. However, the impact of BJP’s political strategy was such that with time Uddhav Thackeray not only had to lose his established party’s name and election symbol, but it also gave a strong message to other NDA allies that if they oppose the BJP, If they go, they may also have to face similar consequences.
Under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, MVA gave a crushing defeat to NDA by winning 31 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. This victory was a major success for the MVA, and it further strengthened Uddhav Thackeray’s confidence. Now Uddhav Thackeray has his eyes on the state assembly elections, where he wants to once again claim the post of Chief Minister. But the situation within the MVA is no longer the same. During the Lok Sabha elections, disputes over seat sharing emerged several times between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, but the equation between Thackeray and the Gandhi family remained intact. On behalf of Shiv Sena (UBT), mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ advocated making Rahul Gandhi the face of the Bharat alliance, while some other allies were hesitant on Rahul Gandhi’s name.
Meanwhile, the equations within the MVA are changing rapidly after the Lok Sabha elections. Despite contesting the maximum number of seats, the position of Shiv Sena (UBT) is now considered weak. Congress won 13 out of 17 seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT) won only 9 out of 21 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP maintained itself in the strongest position by winning 8 out of 10 seats.
With Shiv Sena (UBT)’s position weakening, Uddhav Thackeray’s candidature for the post of Chief Minister has also come under question. Internal surveys conducted by Congress have shown that Uddhav Thackeray’s popularity is declining within the MVA. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray met the Congress leadership in Delhi and demanded a change in the formula for the post of Chief Minister. He argues that the traditional formula of giving the post of Chief Minister to the party getting the most seats weakens the alliance.
Uddhav Thackeray told the Congress leadership that under this formula, every party in the alliance competes to demand maximum seats, due to which the situation becomes more complicated after the elections. He demanded the Congress leadership to ensure that if the MVA wins the assembly elections, he should get the chief minister’s post.
Meanwhile, the tussle within the MVA regarding the claim for the post of Chief Minister has intensified. Uddhav Thackeray has realized that only if he is declared the face of the Chief Minister, he will be able to keep his party leaders and supporters united. Presently Eknath Shinde, who is a rebel leader of Shiv Sena and is now the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is continuously pulling the grassroots level leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) to his side.
In the past, Shiv Sena has faced challenges from leaders like Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray, but the challenge from Eknath Shinde is the biggest. Shinde has not only been successful in keeping 40 rebel MLAs with him, but he has also won over more leaders from Uddhav Thackeray to his side. He has also won 7 Lok Sabha seats, which is only 2 seats less than Uddhav Thackeray.
Within the MVA, differences are emerging regarding Uddhav Thackeray’s candidature. If he is declared the chief ministerial face now, there will be a strong counter-attack from the BJP, especially on the issue of Hindutva. This situation can create problems for Congress and Sharad Pawar’s ‘secular’ vote bank.
Despite the success of the MVA in the Lok Sabha elections, the focus will be on local issues and seat battles in the assembly elections. In such a situation, the tussle within the MVA regarding the post of Chief Minister may become even more complicated. The Election Commission has advanced the dates of Maharashtra Assembly elections by 15-20 days, making it clear that the decision regarding the chief ministerial face within the MVA will be taken only in the last round of seat distribution.