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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.

Sharad Pawar ticks off Fadnavis on merger comment

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar scorned Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his comments a couple of days ago that the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar “ had not informed the Bharatiya Janata Party” of the impending purported merger of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

 

Shooting a dart at Fadnavis in his characteristic style, Pawar  said that “the CM was not involved in the talks between the two parties” - which split in July 2023.

 

“I cannot understand what right he (CM) has to mention my name. Since he was nowhere involved in the reunification discussions, he has no right to make any comments on it,” Pawar told the media in Baramati today.

 

Fadnavis’ utterances were viewed as directly questioning the credibility of Pawar, 86, a former CM and Union Minister, and uncle to the late Ajit Pawar, that left the NCP (SP) seething with rage.

 

Some NCP (SP)-NCP leaders also privately questioned whether allies are required to consult the BJP before taking any actions concerning their independent parties, and whether it was reciprocated in equal measure.

 

Asked if the merger would still go ahead, Pawar deftly replied saying the immediate priority is to support each other before deciding to chart the path ahead, but admitted that “as far as political discussions on the reunion are concerned, there are no talks on”.

 

He reiterated that the merger talks were being conducted by the late Ajit Pawar along with NCP (SP) leader Jayant R. Patil – who also confirmed the same independently last weekend.

 

Pawar had made the explosive revelation that the Ajit Pawar-Patil duo had fixed the merger date as Feb. 12 – as endorsed by Patil – but everything was put on hold owing to Ajit Pawar’s sudden death in an air-crash on Jan. 28.

 

Fadnavis’ comments that riled the NCP (SP) supremo went thus: “Ajitdada was part of the (MahaYuti) government. The NCP is an independent party in the alliance. Could he (Ajit Pawar) take such a decision without informing us (BJP). He was stable in the regime. In fact, the day before (the air tragedy), we were together (post-Cabinet meeting) and even chatted for an hour”.

 

To a query, Pawar said “we are very happy that Sunetra Pawar has become the Deputy CM”. “It’s a matter of joy and satisfaction that she has got the opportunity to serve in this high post,” he said.

 

However, Pawar denied any knowledge of plans for memorial to be erected on the campus of Vidya Pratisthan he had founded in 1972, and Sunetra Pawar is one of the Trustees, along with NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule, other family members and prominent personalities.

 

Ajit Pawar's last sentiments

In a final call made by the late Ajit Pawar before the ill-fated plane crash on Jan. 28, to a NCP worker Shrijit Pawar from Katewadi, he reportedly spoke about “taking everyone from all religions and castes along” in his political journey.

 

Shrijit claimed that Ajit Pawar spoke with him just nine minutes before the crash outside Baramati airport and even played excerpts of that tele-con when the ill-fated aircraft was on the descent.

 

The short conversation, barely a minute, took place at 0837 am, but almost 20 minutes earlier, Ajit Pawar had sent a message to Shrijit suggesting a Mali community (OBC)  candidate should be fielded for the Zilla Parishad elections.

 

Later, they spoke. “Ajitdada and I hail from the same village. When he was in range, he returned the call, saying that the NCP should take all communities, castes and religions along,” said Shrijit on that brief telephonic chat.

 

“The Mali community has been given representation in the ZP polls from the Supe group” said Ajit Pawar, to which Shrijit affirmed: “Yes, Dada, take whatever decision you feel is right”.

 

Lauding his late leader, Shrijit said that the call recordings proved how Ajitdada was keen to take every community along without any discrimination in the elections.

 

 


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