How Ram Nath Kovind's presidential elections victory gives Maharashtra BJP hope
During an informal chat, a senior BJP minister last week had expressed his concerns on the smooth functioning of the state government on the backdrop of consistent criticism by the ruling partner Shiv Sena. "Uddhavji doesn't insist on works of personal favour, never raises voice when we talk but I fail to understand why Saamna hits us so hard every day," he had told Mail Today.
He must have found solace in the voting pattern of the presidential elections. In Maharashtra, NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind got 208 votes, 22 more than the BJP-Shiv Sena's combined strength of 186 (BJP- 123, Shiv Sena-63).
BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari claims that BJP managed to get the support of 22 MLAs, 14 from small parties and independents as well as eight from Congress and NCP. The MLA from Virar, Kshitij Thakur, a BJP supporter, was absent for the voting.
The statistics have led to an interesting speculation on Shiv Sena's future in the government. If voting to Kovind is considered as a support to BJP, the latter has backing of 145 MLAs - mark of simple majority - sans Shiv Sena albeit the eight legislators from Congress-NCP tender their resignation and reelected on BJP tickets.
If that happens, the BJP's dependency on Shiv Sena and subsequently the uncertainty on their alliance will come to an end. Politics is not that easy, though. The BJP will take a long time for "restructuring" of support. The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, has demonstrated that it will continue to create road blocks in the BJP's ambitious infrastructure projects in Mumbai.
The Shiv Sena led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has reiterated that it will not hand over 4,000sqmetre plot in Andheri to construct a sub-station for the Metro project. Earlier, the Shiv Sena had rejected Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's idea of building metro car shed in Aarey Colony.
The BJP is not worried about Shiv Sena's rude behaviour considering its habit of shooting into its own foot over petty issues. CM Fadnavis is likely to take an aggressive stand on his pet infrastructure projects. The picture will be clear after the proposed reshuffle in the state cabinet in late August.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)