While the BJP-led Mahayuti emerged victorious in Maharashtra, the post-election scenario has been anything but smooth

The Maharashtra Assembly elections have delivered a decisive yet politically tumultuous mandate. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance scripted a powerful comeback in state Assembly elections by winning 230 seats in the 288-member House.  Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP also performed well. Sena won 57 while NCP won 41 seats. It was indeed a big disappoint for Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state Assembly polls after it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP(SP) won just 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray’s (UBT) won 20 seats. Despite this success, the post-election landscape has been anything but smooth, as a fierce tussle erupted between the two allies over the chief ministerial position. The post-election scenario has turned into a high-stakes political drama. Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s  chief minister candidate finally got the post as Eknath Shinde stepped aside and his son is likely to be deputy chief minister; allegedly on the pressure of the BJP central command. His leadership has been credited with delivering key infrastructure projects and steering the state through various challenges such as agrarian distress and urban expansion.

As the BJP’s top leader in Maharashtra, Fadnavis was widely expected to retain the chief ministerial post. The Shiv Sena made significant contribution to the alliance’s victory and wanted to retain the CM post for Eknath Shinde. But after days of negotiations he finally agreed to give way to Fadnavis while maintaining that his tenure saw exponential development in the state and he made it number one. The party has pointed out that its cadre worked tirelessly to mobilise grassroots support, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where the BJP’s influence has traditionally been weaker. It is also understandable that the BJP should lead the government, citing the party’s larger mandate but it will still need NCP and Shiv Sena support to remain in power. The impasse between the BJP and Shiv Sena created an air of uncertainty in Maharashtra’s politics. As of now, Devendra Fadnavis appears poised to be the chief minister, backed by the BJP’s central leadership. Though, for now the BJP has prevailed and got the plumb post for its man, make no mistake. Shinde’s Shiv Sena is not very happy about it and knows once they are marginalised in the game the chances of their party splitting and merging with the BJP are rather high. It has happened in the past and could well be repeated in Maharashtra as well. It would be interesting to watch how Maharashtra politics shapes up. The decisions taken now, the composition of the cabinet and indeed the say Shinde has in the administration would not only shape Maharashtra’s governance for the next five years but also redefine the dynamics of of India’s financial hub.