The election juggernaut is in full swing in Maharashtra. This time around, a new assembly will not only usher in new faces, but also fundamental changes in relations between parties. It could be a turning point for a few political leaders. Here’s how:
Sharad Pawar: Union agriculture minister and NCP boss, heading his ten-year-old party, faces his toughest electoral test ever. The NCP fared poorly in the Lok Sabha polls, which meant he had to agree to the conditions set by the Congress for an alliance this election. The NCP is now clearly the junior partner. More worrying are two issues: one, the party is increasingly not even a regional/state party; it is a sub-regional one with its sphere of influence spread mostly across the sugar belt of western Maharashtra. Two, the party is witnessing large-scale rebellion within its ranks. How many seats it bags and what role it plays in the next government will determine the future for the party, Pawar and his clan.
Uddhav Thackeray: The most reticent of the Thackerays, he faces an election that will set the course for the Shiv Sena for the next two decades. It’s 10 years since the party, along with ally BJP, assumed power in the state. Sitting in the Opposition one more term may prompt many to jump ship. Sainiks are increasingly getting frustrated at his inability to be “like his father”, his unwillingness to go toe-to-toe with cousin and defector Raj Thackeray who also claims to represent the Marathi manoos. This election will confirm who, between the cousins, has the popular mandate to hold that burning candle.
Raj Thackeray: The Marathi manoos refrain on his lips, Mantralaya in his vision, words are weapons along with stones and lathis as a route to power. Raj knows only too well that this assembly election could be his moment of reckoning—he could be sitting at the high table deciding the shape of the next government in Maharashtra, or he could be heading to a retreat for some deep introspection.
The BJP: The pre-election bargaining with partner of 25 years, Shiv Sena, has sunk the party to junior status. It has conceded many of its winnable urban seats to its partner, preferring to not take on the mns head-on. The in-fighting between state chief Nitin Gadkari and MP Gopinath Munde has fractured the once-disciplined party into groups.
