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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

NDA power matrix reshaped after success

AI generated image Mumbai: A quiet coup in the state has triggered a loud shift in the power dynamics of the nation’s capital. By engineering the defection of six additional MPs, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has nearly doubled his parliamentary muscle, transforming his Shiv Sena faction from a junior regional partner into an indispensable pillar of the NDA. Now sitting on a commanding 13 seats, Shinde has dramatically increased his political leverage—leaving a cautious BJP to weigh the...

NDA power matrix reshaped after success

AI generated image Mumbai: A quiet coup in the state has triggered a loud shift in the power dynamics of the nation’s capital. By engineering the defection of six additional MPs, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has nearly doubled his parliamentary muscle, transforming his Shiv Sena faction from a junior regional partner into an indispensable pillar of the NDA. Now sitting on a commanding 13 seats, Shinde has dramatically increased his political leverage—leaving a cautious BJP to weigh the cost of an emboldened ally demanding a bigger slice of the pie in both the Union and state cabinets. In a masterstroke of political engineering that has profoundly jolted political landscape, Shinde has once again demonstrated his formidable capacity for disruption. The rebellion of six out of nine Lok Sabha Members of Parliament from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), ostensibly joining Shinde’s ranks under the banner of “Operation Tiger,” is not merely a regional skirmish. It is a calculated power play that reverberates through the highest corridors of power in New Delhi. By nearly doubling his party’s strength in the lower house from seven to thirteen MPs, Shinde has dramatically altered his own political trajectory, elevating his faction from a helpful regional ally to an indispensable pillar of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Shinde’s Stature The immediate consequence of this crossover is a massive surge in Shinde’s stature within the NDA hierarchy. With thirteen parliamentarians, his Shiv Sena is now poised to become the fourth-largest bloc in the ruling national coalition, sitting just behind the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Telugu Desam Party, and the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India. This numerical leap is of immense strategic value to the BJP-led central government. In a parliamentary environment where the ruling coalition possesses only a modest majority, every single seat counts. The central leadership is acutely aware of upcoming legislative hurdles, particularly ambitious constitutional amendments like the proposed delimitation bill, which will require a formidable two-thirds majority. By acting as the architect of this crucial numerical boost, Shinde has cemented his reputation as a reliable and highly effective operator for the NDA, significantly increasing his bargaining power and political leverage. National Relief For the BJP, this development evokes a complex mixture of profound national relief and acute regional anxiety. From the vantage point of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Shinde’s successful poaching operation is a clear windfall. It simultaneously fortifies the NDA’s numerical strength in New Delhi while severely crippling a vocal opposition force in Maharashtra. The central BJP leadership views Shinde as a vital asset capable of bridging the gap between their current numbers and the overwhelming mandates of the past. However, the perspective from the Maharashtra BJP headquarters is noticeably more apprehensive. State BJP leaders openly acknowledge Shinde’s soaring political equity, but they are increasingly wary of his expanding ambitions. They recognize that an emboldened Shinde, eager to fill the political vacuum left by Uddhav Thackeray and a fragmented Nationalist Congress Party, will aggressively attempt to expand his footprint across the state, potentially encroaching upon the BJP’s own traditional support bases. Power Sharing This dramatically enhanced political heft immediately raises pressing questions regarding power-sharing arrangements, both at the Centre and in the state. Armed with thirteen MPs, Shinde’s camp is undoubtedly preparing to seek greater political rewards. In the Union Cabinet, his demand for an additional, high-profile ministerial berth is now backed by solid arithmetic. Given his heightened utility to the national coalition, the BJP high command is highly likely to accommodate this request during the next cabinet reshuffle. However, the power struggle within the Maharashtra state cabinet promises to be far more contentious. Shinde, who had to settle for the Deputy Chief Ministership behind Devendra Fadnavis following the last assembly elections, may now feel emboldened to petition the BJP leadership for the top job. The BJP’s state unit is actively preparing to fiercely resist any such demand. Senior BJP leaders are quick to emphasize that despite his parliamentary gains, Shinde’s legislative strength in the state assembly hovers around 57 MLAs, dwarfed by the BJP’s commanding 132 legislators. Consequently, conceding the Chief Minister’s chair remains highly improbable. Instead, the BJP will be forced into a delicate balancing act, likely appeasing Shinde by granting his faction a larger share of influential, heavyweight portfolios within the state government to keep the alliance stable. Ultimately, through sheer political audacity, Eknath Shinde has ensured that neither New Delhi nor Mumbai can afford to govern without catering to his increasingly formidable political weight.

Shirur–Karjat corridor to reduce stress

Mumbai: The proposed Shirur–Karjat road corridor, being advanced under Maharashtra’s highway expansion programme, is gaining strategic urgency as authorities seek long-term solutions to recurring congestion on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway. The project, being executed by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), assumed renewed significance following repeated traffic disruptions — including a recent gridlock that lasted over 30 hours, highlighting the need for alternative mobility corridors capable of absorbing diverted traffic during emergencies and peak freight movement.


Senior officials associated with the project emphasise that the new corridor, along with the ongoing Mumbai–Pune Expressway missing-link works, will play a decisive role in stabilising traffic flows across one of the state’s busiest transport arteries. “The Shirur–Karjat road is not merely an additional highway; it is a structural alternative that will allow authorities to divert heavy traffic when the expressway faces disruptions,” a senior official said.


"When integrated with the expressway’s missing-link project, it will significantly reduce bottlenecks in ghat sections and prevent the kind of prolonged chaos witnessed recently," he added.


With an estimated investment of around Rs 12,500 crore — including land acquisition, engineering works and construction — the proposed four-lane greenfield highway is envisioned as a parallel east–west connectivity spine linking Pune district to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The alignment is expected to cover roughly 135 kilometres, passing through Shirur, Pabal, Rajgurunagar, Shirwali and interior Pune nodes before reaching Karjat, with onward connectivity planned toward Panvel and the Uran port corridor.


PPP Model

Planning authorities indicate that the project may be executed under a public–private partnership framework such as the Build-Operate-Transfer model, enabling private sector participation while managing the state’s fiscal exposure. The engineering design is expected to include tunnels, major bridges and dedicated bypass stretches to maintain uninterrupted vehicular movement.


Preliminary assessments suggest the construction of around five tunnels along with multiple bridge structures, reflecting the terrain challenges along parts of the alignment.


The corridor’s strategic importance lies in its ability to serve as a major diversion route for freight traffic originating from Marathwada and eastern Maharashtra. Currently, a significant share of such traffic converges on Pune city before entering the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, contributing to urban congestion and increasing pressure on the expressway’s vulnerable ghat sections. By enabling direct movement toward the Mumbai region without routing through densely populated zones, the new road is expected to substantially ease congestion.


Officials note that the project’s synergy with the expressway missing-link — designed to smoothen curves and remove accident-prone bottlenecks — will create a more resilient transport network. “The missing-link will improve safety and travel time on the existing expressway, while the Shirur–Karjat corridor will provide redundancy,” another official explained.


"Together, these projects will ensure that even if one corridor faces disruption due to accidents, landslides or maintenance, traffic can be seamlessly diverted without paralysing regional mobility,” they say.


Logistic Efficiency

Beyond decongestion benefits, the corridor is also expected to enhance logistics efficiency across industrial belts such as Shirur, Chakan and Talegaon. Improved connectivity to ports and logistics hubs in Navi Mumbai and Uran could reduce transit times and fuel costs for manufacturers, strengthening regional supply chains. Infrastructure planners anticipate the emergence of new economic clusters along the route, including logistics parks, warehousing hubs and agro-processing zones, thereby promoting decentralised industrial development beyond Pune’s urban core.


However, implementation challenges remain significant. Land acquisition across large tracts, environmental clearances and financial structuring under a PPP framework are likely to influence project timelines. Cost escalation risks due to inflation in construction materials and engineering complexities in hilly stretches may also impact execution.


Despite these hurdles, transport planners view the Shirur–Karjat corridor as a transformative infrastructure intervention that could reshape mobility patterns across western Maharashtra. By reducing overdependence on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway — a vulnerability exposed during recent extended traffic jams — the project is expected to strengthen network resilience, improve freight efficiency and support balanced economic growth across the Pune–Mumbai industrial corridor.

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