This refers to the editorial, “Collapse of an alliance” (January 28). Maharashtra's politics is heading for interesting times and the brinkmanship games are far from over. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's decision to go it alone in the coming Mumbai civic poll marks a break in the 25-year-long alliance between the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Ever since the rise of Narendra Modi in 2014, the Shiv Sena has been uncomfortable with the BJP's ambitions of emerging as the pre-eminent party in Maharashtra.
In fact, the writing had been on the wall for quite some time, with the Shiv Sena showing dissent over many of the Modi Government's policies, including demonetisation. The proverbial last straw on the camel's back must have been when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar was conferred the Padma award, which Thackeray perhaps interprets as the BJP way to build bridges with the NCP as an alternative to the Shiv Sena as an ally in the State and at the Centre.