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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 4:59:11 pm

Fadnavis reins in Sena’s Marathi push

AI generated image Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra is witnessing a delicate political balancing act, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis increasingly overriding key decisions of alliance partners, particularly the Shiv Sena, while simultaneously attempting to placate them on other fronts. The tension within the alliance came to the fore on Thursday when Fadnavis stepped in to dilute a controversial mandate enforced by Shiv Sena Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, which...

Fadnavis reins in Sena’s Marathi push

AI generated image Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra is witnessing a delicate political balancing act, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis increasingly overriding key decisions of alliance partners, particularly the Shiv Sena, while simultaneously attempting to placate them on other fronts. The tension within the alliance came to the fore on Thursday when Fadnavis stepped in to dilute a controversial mandate enforced by Shiv Sena Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, which required auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai to possess basic Marathi language proficiency. The Transport Department’s enforcement drive, which threatened non-Marathi-speaking drivers with suspension or cancellation of their licences, sparked outrage among North Indian drivers who form a sizeable section of the public transport workforce in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Protests brought parts of Mumbai, including Kandivali and Malad, to a standstill. Recognising the potential electoral fallout, Fadnavis intervened, saying drivers need not be “experts” in Marathi. He also extended the grace period for drivers to acquire a working knowledge of the language to one year, effectively diluting Sarnaik’s hardline stance. Fadnavis announced the decision after a delegation of transport operators met him. The episode highlights the conflicting political compulsions of the Mahayuti partners. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena is keen to pursue a pro-Marathi, “sons of the soil” agenda to consolidate its traditional voter base and counter the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. The BJP, however, relies heavily on North Indian and migrant voters in the MMR, particularly as crucial civic and state elections approach. Any aggressive regional policy that alienates this constituency could have electoral consequences for the party. The Marathi language issue is not an isolated instance of Fadnavis stepping in to override decisions associated with the Shiv Sena. It fits into a broader pattern of the chief minister’s administration reviewing or reversing several initiatives of the previous government headed by Shinde. In April 2026, the BJP-led Environment Department, headed by Minister Pankaja Munde, scrapped 14 lake conservation projects, 11 of which had been cleared during Shinde’s tenure, and ordered recovery of more than Rs 73 crore. The Fadnavis government has also modified several initiatives introduced by the previous regime. In January 2025, it altered Shinde’s three-course school meal plan, placing the responsibility on local school management committees to raise funds for sweet dishes. In April 2025, the government scrapped the ‘One State, One Uniform’ policy for schools. A Rs 3,200-crore tender for mechanised housekeeping services at government hospitals, issued under the Shinde government, was also stayed. Yet, Fadnavis remains conscious of the need to preserve the fragile alliance. To manage growing resentment within the Sena, he has adopted what can be described as a ‘blow hot, blow cold’ approach — overriding decisions when they clash with the BJP’s broader political interests while offering political concessions on other fronts. One such move was the recent appointment of Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale as Guardian Minister of the politically important Raigad district, ending a 19-month-long tussle over the post. At the same time, the Mahayuti government recently reduced the powers exercised by Guardian Ministers over District Planning Committee (DPC) funds, directing that 70 per cent of the funds be allocated directly to local MLAs. The move is aimed at reducing the concentration of financial powers with individual ministers. As the Mahayuti navigates these competing interests, Fadnavis has also instructed alliance partners to resolve disputes internally and avoid public sparring. However, the latest confrontation over the Marathi language requirement underscores the limits of that arrangement. While Fadnavis continues to use his authority to protect the BJP’s broader electoral interests, the Shiv Sena remains under pressure to assert its regional identity and distinguish itself from the Thackeray faction. With elections approaching, balancing these competing political priorities is likely to remain one of the biggest challenges for the Mahayuti government.

IMF disburses USD 1.023 bn tranche to Pak; to hold virtual discussions about budget

  • PTI
  • May 14, 2025
  • 3 min read


Karachi/Islamabad: The International Monetary Fund has disbursed a second tranche of USD 1.023 billion under the Extended Fund Facility programme for Pakistan, the central bank said on Wednesday.


The disbursement of the second tranche comes on a day when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is holding virtual discussions on Pakistan's upcoming budget as the visit of its mission to Islamabad was delayed due to security concerns in the region.


The federal government is planning to unveil the budget for fiscal 2025-26 on June 2.


The IMF talks will continue until May 16.


The Central bank said the second tranche amount would be reflected in its foreign exchange reserves for the week ending May 16.


The amount was approved last week by the IMF board under the ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and allowed an additional arrangement for the USD 1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).


The decision to release the funds came after the IMF expressed satisfaction on the first review of Pakistan's economic reform programme supported by the EFF Arrangement, the bank said.


The IMF noted that Pakistan's policy efforts under the EFF had already delivered ¿significant progress¿ in stabilising the economy and rebuilding confidence, amidst a challenging global environment.


¿Fiscal performance has been strong, with a primary surplus of two per cent of gross domestic product achieved in the first half of FY25, keeping Pakistan on track to meet the end-FY25 target of 2.1 per cent of GDP.


Pakistan's gross reserves stood at USD 10.3 billion at end-April, up from USD 9.4 billion in August 2024, and are projected to reach USD 13.9 billion by end-June 2025 and continue to be rebuilt over the medium term, it was pointed out.


Meanwhile, the IMF talks that started virtually Wednesday will continue until May 16.


The global lender has appointed a new mission chief to Pakistan and the mission is now expected to travel to Islamabad over the weekend, subject to the security situation, government sources told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.


The IMF mission delayed its scheduled arrival here on Tuesday due to uncertainty caused by the India-Pakistan conflict that had affected air travel across the region.


"Virtual discussions are expected to be held from today. For the second and final leg of the talks, the IMF team is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Saturday and stay until May 23," the source said.


The IMF's Resident Representative to Pakistan Mahir Binici did not respond to a request for comment on the change in the travel plan.


Finance Ministry spokesperson Qumar Abbasi also did not respond to questions on the change in the travel plans.


Meanwhile, the IMF appointed Iva Petrova, a Bulgarian origin staff member, as new Mission Chief to Pakistan. She would join the discussions along with the outgoing Mission Chief Nathan Porter who served in the position for an extended term.


Binici also did not comment on whether both outgoing and new mission chiefs would join both rounds of talks.


Petrova, who holds a PhD degree in economics from the Michigan State University, has been serving as the IMF Mission Chief to Armenia. Previously, she had served with the missions to Israel, Iceland and Latvia.


In Pakistan, the fiscal policy is expected to remain tight in the next fiscal year too. The IMF has asked Pakistan to make a budget on the assumption of having 1.6 per cent of the GDP primary budget surplus, which will require generating about Rs 2 trillion over and above the non-interest expenses.


The tax target for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is proposed to be 11 per cent of the GDP or Rs 14.3 trillion. The IMF would examine whether the government plans to take credibly realistic measures to back the new tax target, said the sources.


The IMF has set multiple fiscal conditions, whose successful completion has so far helped smooth continuation of the programme despite initial setbacks.


Pakistan has met the IMF targets for a primary budget surplus by the federal government, as well as net revenue collection and cash surplus targets by the four provinces.


Against a primary surplus target of Rs 2.7 trillion, the federal government reported a surplus of Rs 3.5 trillion, or 2.8 per cent of GDP.


The size of the federal budget still remains tentative due to redoing of defence needs and the government plans to announce less than Rs 18 trillion budget. The overall budget deficit target after incorporating large provincial cash surpluses is projected at 5.1 per cent of the GDP or Rs 6.7 trillion, the sources said.

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