Maharashtra: What is happening between Shinde and Fadnavis, why is BJP’s former CM on ‘Hindutva’ overdrive?
Vibha Sharma
Chandigarh, June 25
A page-one advertisement issued by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is continuing to create ripples in Maharashtra’s political corridors.
Notably, the advertisement carried the photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CM while leaving out his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. Later, claiming that “some party well-wishers” issued it, the Shinde ‘Sena’ distanced itself from the advertisement. Then, trying to make amends, BJP’s alliance partner issued another advertisement onWednesday, this time featuring Fadnavis.
However, political observers claim the entire episode is not “as innocent as it looks”. It not only exposed chinks between Shinde and Fadnavis but also between the two alliance partners in the state, they say. The fact is omitting Fadnavis was not all that was wrong with the advertisement so far as the BJP was concerned. It had also quoted a survey to claim that more people in Maharashtra preferred Shinde-led Sena to the BJP.
Coming ahead of the local bodies’ elections, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, “sometime in near future” and the all-important general elections next year in the state that sends as many as 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the advertisement was seen as an indication of the relationship between the two allies.
Technical error, says Shinde Sena
According to Shinde-Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, the absence of Fadnavis’s photo in the earlier advertisement was a “technical error”.
“It was a technical error that Fadnavis’s photo was not there in the advertisement. It was not an intentional advertisement and whenever such advertisements are published, they must go through Shinde ji before getting printed.
“When Shinde ji got to know late in the night that someone had given such an advertisement in the newspapers, he had immediately asked to withdraw the advertisement. However, it was too late and newspapers had already gone for printing,” Kesarkar was today quoted as saying.
What is happening with Fadnavis
During the past two days Fadnavis avoided attending events with Shinde. According to reports, on Tuesday he cancelled visit to Kolhapur where he was to attend a government event with Shinde.
Observers say after being “demoted” to the post of the deputy CM, the former Maharashtra CM is attempting a turnaround, including trying to establish credentials as the true ‘Hindutva’ face of the BJP in Maharashtra. He has certainly not taken kindly to what he saw as “attempts to further undermine him,” they add.
Those who have been witness to his earlier avatar of a “progressive, development-oriented, modern CM” are watching with interest Fadnavis’ attempts to create the image of a hardcore Hindutva leader.
Observers, say that his recent utterances, like “Aurangzeb ki aaulad” to target Muslims are designed to achieve the same credentials in the party as its other ‘Hindutva’ poster-boys like Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma. “Having been upped by the Shinde for the post of the CM, Fadnavis is trying to make the far right turn, and fast,” they say
Earlier in April Fadnavis said India was already a “Hindu rashtra” “whether you call it or not”. “We endorse Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s ideology. In some sense whether you call it or not, the fact is India has a Hindu majority. And in that sense, it is already a Hindu rashtra,” he had told the media during his Ayodhya visit.
