A new worry in new Maharashtra Cabinet: BJP-Sena leaders’ past tiffs with NCP ministers

In the 2019 Assembly polls, at least five of the nine NCP legislators had a straight fight with BJP candidates in their respective constituencies and three NCP MLAs had a direct fight with Shiv Sena candidates.

The five constituencies where the NCP and BJP had a direct fight are Baramati, where Ajit Pawar defeated BJP’s Gopichand Padalkar; Udgir, where NCP’s Sanjay Bansode defeated BJP’s Anil Sadashiv Kamble; Amalner, where NCP’s Anil Patil defeated BJP’s Shirish Chaudhari; Beed Parli, where NCP’s Dhananjay Munde defeated BJP’s Pankaja Munde, and Aheri, where NCP’s Dharamraobaba Aatram defeated BJP’s Ambrishraod Aatram.

According to sources, several MLAs and leaders of Shinde-led Sena are now upset and seemed worried after the NCP legislators joined the government as most of them are heavyweights and there is a fear in the Shinde-led Sena that they can politically cut them to size in their constituencies as they did in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

A source said that several ministers and MLAs have expressed their displeasure to Shinde for joining hands with the NCP and have also objected on the allocation of portfolios.

The ministers demanded that plum ministries such as finance, PWD, irrigation, cooperation, Home, housing and revenue should not be given to NCP ministers, said a source.

This is because during their rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, many Shinde-led Sena leaders had complained that they were facing trouble in their constituencies because of NCP ministers, especially senior leaders like Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil and Sunil Tatkare.

Interestingly, there are instances of friction between Ajit Pawar and all Shinde-led Sena MLAs, including Shinde and minister Gulabrao Patil, who had claimed that the Shinde-led Sena was not getting funds from Ajit Pawar, who was then the finance minister, but that their rivals in their constituencies were getting huge funds.

Shinde Sena MLAs also alleged that there was gross inequality in distribution of development works in their constituencies and Shiv Sena MLAs felt neglected as all the important ministries were with the NCP.

MLAs like Bharat Gogawale from Raigad, Suhas Kande from Nashik and Shivaji Adhalrao Patil from Pune also have had tiffs with at least three more NCP ministers.

One of the prominent ones was between Gogawale, an MLA from Mahad constituency in Raigad, and Aditi Tatkare, the then guardian minister from Raigad, over the distribution of development funds and invitation for government functions among others.

The tussle between Gogawale and Tatkare may crop up again and this time it could be for the guardian ministership of Raigad district.

Gogawale has already expressed his wish to be the guardian minister of Raigad. However, he is yet to be inducted into the Cabinet and Tatkare has already been inducted. Shinde-led Sena MLA Ravindra Dalvi from Raigad also said that Tatkare as guardian minister of Raigad will not be accepted. “We will not accept her as guardian minister. I have already discussed it with Shinde,” Dalvi said.

There was also continuous tussle between Shinde-led Sena MLA Suhas Kande and then minister Chhagan Bhujbal in Nashik.

The appointment of Bhujbal as Nashik’s guardian minister had rattled Kande as he felt that Bhujbal was out to finish his political career and the conflict between them even witnessed both having public confrontations during government meetings. Struggling for his own political survival, Kande had to move the Bombay High Court in September 2021 seeking the removal of Bhujbal as Nashik’s guardian minister.

In 2019, Kande had defeated Pankaj Bhujbal in Nandgaon, but he fears the seat may be sacrificed by the Sena if the alliance continues.

Shinde-led Sena leader and former MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil from Pune district also has a strong political rivalry with Dilip Walse-Patil as both of them belong to the same region. Patil, during the MVA government, had claimed that close associates of Walse-Patil, who was the Home minister during the MVA government, were allegedly harassing his workers.

There is also possibility of friction between Shinde-led MPs from Kolhapur and NCP minister Hasan Mushrif for their candidature in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A couple of months ago, Mushrif had expressed his wish to contest the LS election from Kolhapur.

According to political observers, now that all these NCP leaders are again ministers and that too in the Shinde-led government, Shinde-led Sena MLAs and leaders fear they might again be squeezed for funds and also cut to size politically.

A source said, “Most of the Sena MLAs or leaders who come from the same constituency as NCP legislators are jittery because of their existing rivalries with them. They are also worried as most of these NCP legislators like Bhujbal, Tatkare, Walse-Patil and Ajit Pawar are political heavyweights and experienced. They feel they might be again pushed into a corner and that it could finish their political careers.”

A political observer said, “It is obvious there is nervousness in many Shinde Sena MLAs as well as ministers as many of the NCP legislators inducted into the Cabinet have vast experience of administration and politics as compared to Shinde Sena legislators. Also, most Shinde Sena MLAs are also not mass leaders.”