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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Mahayuti struggles with seat-sharing formula

Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti alliance is currently navigating a treacherous political minefield. With the crucial Legislative Council elections rapidly approaching, deep-seated differences over seat-sharing have surfaced. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday offered a candid admission of these unresolved disputes. His statements underscore the immense pressure on the coalition partners. The state is preparing to vote for sixteen council seats and one bypoll seat in Nagpur. Voting is...

Mahayuti struggles with seat-sharing formula

Mumbai: The ruling Mahayuti alliance is currently navigating a treacherous political minefield. With the crucial Legislative Council elections rapidly approaching, deep-seated differences over seat-sharing have surfaced. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday offered a candid admission of these unresolved disputes. His statements underscore the immense pressure on the coalition partners. The state is preparing to vote for sixteen council seats and one bypoll seat in Nagpur. Voting is scheduled for June 18, with the all-important counting set for June 22. Addressing the media after inaugurating the Jawahar Balbhavan in Mumbai, Fadnavis sought to project a calm exterior. He emphasised that detailed discussions are still ongoing to evaluate various aspects of the electoral battle. He expressed confidence that the alliance would soon reach an amicable solution. However, the specific geographies he mentioned reveal the exact fault lines. Negotiations with the Shiv Sena are heavily concentrated on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nashik. Meanwhile, talks with the Nationalist Congress Party are focused squarely on Pune. Alliance Arithmatic The arithmetic of the alliance is proving incredibly difficult to balance. The Shiv Sena had firmly demanded seven seats even as the BJP was offering only 3. They justify this claim by pointing to their strong support bases in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Sambhajinagar, Ratnagiri, Nashik, and Yavatmal. The Bharatiya Janata Party has a vastly different calculation. The BJP plans to assert its dominance by contesting twelve seats. This aggressive stance would leave only three seats for the Sena and a mere two seats for the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP. With the nomination process already underway, the clock is ticking loudly for the Mahayuti leadership. This intense internal friction prompted a sudden political maneuver by Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde. He flew to New Delhi over the weekend amid the escalating deadlock. Sena sources indicated that Shinde sought the intervention of the BJP’s central leadership. A Sena minister, however, quickly tried to downplay the optics of the trip. He insisted that Shinde travelled for an unscheduled programme before heading to Bengaluru for a planned event. Despite these official denials, the timing strongly suggests a high-stakes crisis intervention. Bitter Conflict The most bitter conflict within the alliance centers on the Thane local authorities constituency. Both the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena are fiercely staking their claims. A BJP legislator recently argued that political tickets should be distributed based strictly on numerical strength. He pointed out that the BJP commands 444 corporators in the region. In stark contrast, the Shinde-led Sena and the allied Jijau organisation possess a combined total of only 346 corporators. However, political reality in Maharashtra is rarely dictated by numbers alone. The Shinde faction views Thane as its emotional and traditional stronghold. Surrendering this territory to their alliance partner is considered politically unthinkable. This local dispute is already threatening to severely damage the broader coalition. A Sena Member of Parliament recently issued a stark warning regarding the upcoming Thane Zilla Parishad elections. He boldly asserted that Sena workers are fully prepared to fight alone and hoist their saffron flag, regardless of the alliance’s survival. The battle lines are extending further across the state map. The Sena is demanding the Jalgaon seat, which the BJP is equally determined to contest. Furthermore, reports suggest the Sena is preparing to unilaterally field a candidate in Raigad. This would further complicate the already delicate negotiations. Despite these mounting tensions, BJP minister Girish Mahajan has publicly maintained that the deadlock will be resolved shortly. A final decision now rests on an impending high-level meeting between Fadnavis, Shinde, and Sunetra Pawar. MVA Crisis Meanwhile, the political turbulence is not restricted to the Mahayuti alliance. The opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi is dealing with its own severe crisis in the Vidarbha region. The Chandrapur-Gadchiroli council seat has triggered frantic political poaching. As many as sixty corporators and Zilla Parishad members from the Congress party reportedly went missing recently. Congress leaders have directly accused BJP legislator Banti Bhangadiya of orchestrating this disappearance. They allege he has shifted the corporators to an undisclosed location to manipulate the voting outcome. The Congress has responded with an aggressive counter-narrative. Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar made a startling claim that over one hundred BJP corporators are secretly in contact with him. While Wadettiwar strategically hid their exact whereabouts, his statement highlighted a critical vulnerability. He suggested that the BJP is also suffering from severe internal factionalism. Wadettiwar warned that these hidden rifts will ultimately cost the ruling party dearly in the forthcoming elections.

Was Michelle Bachelet selected for being critical against Modi?

While the BJP is projecting India’s rising global confidence, Congress continues its pattern of picking dubious international personalities

New Delhi: Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile (2006-10), receiving the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize is no accident. At the UNHRC, she repeatedly targeted India using familiar Left-liberal talking points. Congress celebrates her because she speaks the language their ecosystem wants the world to believe about India.


Michelle Bachelet is widely criticised in Chile for policies that destroyed Chile's economy. Due to her poor performance, Chile now sees a right-wing surge and she is the one now being showcased by the Congress ecosystem as a prize-worthy figure. While the BJP is projecting India’s rising global confidence, Congress continues its pattern of picking dubious international personalities simply to seek external approval. Instead of honouring genuine achievers, it turns to people with troubled records, revealing its persistent dependence on foreign validation.


When she criticised India after the removal of Article 370, she ignored how Kashmir finally gained equal rights and real integration. Congress used her remarks to claim India acted against democracy. It was never about human rights. It was always about political gain.


Her comments on the Delhi riots followed the same predictable line. She picked one side, overlooked the complete picture, and painted India as intolerant. Congress immediately held up her statements as validation, not because they were accurate, but because they helped them pressure the government.


She even went so far as to file a petition in India’s Supreme Court against the CAA. This was a clear intrusion into India’s sovereign decisions. Congress did not object. They welcomed it quietly because it suited their narrative.


Her remarks on NGOs and activists completely ignored national security threats, foreign funding issues, and coordinated anti-India campaigns. Congress embraced her version of events because it allowed them to question India’s institutions without taking responsibility.


During the farmers’ protest, she repeated incomplete and misleading claims about sedition cases. She did not acknowledge the way misinformation caused unrest on the ground. Congress again used its criticism to attack India internationally, even though it hurt the country’s image.


Her claim of “shrinking civic space” ignored the reality that India has one of the freest and most energetic public spheres in the world. Congress preferred her version because it helped them undermine India’s growth and confidence under PM Modi.


Her framing of “minority rights” followed a familiar script. It echoed the Congress narrative that Indian Muslims live in constant fear, something not supported by facts on the ground. Congress appreciated her stance because it aligned with their favourite political line.


She used the vocabulary of human rights as a political tool. Words like “concern” and “alarm” were used to shape a negative picture of India. Congress relied on her criticism to build an international echo for their own domestic politics.


Her background in socialist politics explains her discomfort with strong nationalist governments. Congress, unable to connect with the voters, found comfort in her worldview because it reflects their own political frustration.


Congress supporting Bachelet is not about honouring peace. It is about rewarding someone who consistently criticised India and helped validate their anti-BJP narrative. It reveals where their real interests lie.


Her accusation that India “marginalises Muslims” ignored constitutional safeguards, welfare measures, and equal opportunities. Congress used these statements to fuel its own story because it lacks widespread public trust.


Her criticism was selective and incomplete. It ignored the positive transformations taking place in India. Congress did not mind because selective criticism is the tool they depend on during political decline.


The core question is simple. Why would a national party reward someone who repeatedly undermined India’s decisions? The answer is equally simple. These criticisms are useful to Congress because they cannot win the people’s mandate.


In the end, this is not just about Michelle Bachelet. This is about Congress choosing to align with every voice that questions India, simply to attack the Modi government. While the BJP works to strengthen India’s global standing, Congress continues to lean on those who weaken it. And the people of India can clearly see the difference.

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