Pawars & Thackerays — two key political families marginalised in Maharashtra
Political analysts feel that the results have come as a jolt to the Thackeray family as civic politics formed the core strength of their party.
Sharad Pawar (left) and Uddhav Thackeray (Express photo) The results of elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra have put Thackeray and Pawar family on the backfoot, leaving a lot to introspect about their political move. While the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP failed to emerge victorious in any of the urban civic bodies, trends till 6 pm showed that Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena UBT was down to one from five corporations — where they had their mayor earlier.
In the previous corporation elections, the Thackerays controlled Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) and Ahmednagar (now Ahilya Nagar). This is the first time in at least three decades that Shiv Sena UBT, founded and nurtured by the Thackeray family is unlikely to control any of the key municipal corporations that formed the backbone of its political power.
In its biggest bastion Mumbai, the undivided Shiv Sena had emerged the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in 2017 with 84 corporators. In Thane, another long-standing Sena fortress shaped by the legacy of Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe, the undivided Sena had won 67 of 131 seats in 2017 and formed the civic body on its own. This time it is being led by Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde.
The situation is similar in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, where the undivided Sena had 52 corporators in the previous election and was the dominant force. Trends indicate that the Mahayuti alliance was in the driver’s seat. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyabai Holkar Nagar, BJP and its allies were ahead this time.
Political analysts feel that the results have come as a jolt to the Thackeray family as civic politics formed the core strength of their party.
“Control over municipal corporations, especially Mumbai and Thane and their surrounding satellite towns, allowed the party to remain relevant even when it was not in power at the Centre. The current situation, however, marks a sharp reversal. The Sena (UBT) is now out of power at the Centre, out of the state government, and largely out of power in municipal corporations as well,” said a political analyst.
Observers say that Thackeray’s marginalisation at all three levels — national, state and civic body — will significantly weaken the party’s organisational base. “While the Sena (UBT) continues to command emotional support among sections of voters, particularly in Mumbai, the loss of civic control will further reduce its ability to convert that support into political power,” he said.
The decline of Pawars
Following the results, Opposition NCP-SP stares at an uncertain future as it has failed to open account in 24 civic bodies, till the time of writing this report. Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which had contested Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation against the BJP faced a complete rout.
His strategy to challenge the BJP during these elections seem to have backfired. As a result, Ajit Pawar will now be forced to quietly cooperate with the BJP within the Mahayuti government.
Against this backdrop, where the Pawars have reduced to the bottom of political hierarchy in the state, the talks of merger between the two parties are likely to gain momentum. The joining of two parties for the local body polls was seen as the first step towards that direction. The upcoming Zilla Parishad polls are likely to see the alliance getting stronger with both parties left with no option but to come together.
Since his rebellion within the NCP, Ajit Pawar had maintained a harmonious relationship with the BJP. In contrast to Eknath Shinde, he rarely took a stand against the BJP—until these elections.
When Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the BJP would contest independently in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar formed an alliance with his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP. By being a partner with the BJP in the state government while simultaneously joining hands with the Opposition Sharad Pawar group, Ajit Pawar attempted to keep his feet in two different boats.
Voters in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations seem to have outrightly rejected Ajit Pawar’s double standard. The only silver-lining to the NCP is party’s victory in Ahilyanagar in alliance with the BJP. However, Ajit Pawar is unlikely to secure a mayoral post there as the BJP has emerged as the single largest party.
Following the crushing defeat in both corporations, he will now have to submissively coordinate with the BJP which may focus on weakening his political standing. During the campaign, Ajit Pawar criticised the BJP and alleged corruption in the municipal administration, which reportedly did not go down well with BJP leaders. They responded in kind, with BJP state president Ravindra Chavan stating that the party “regretted taking Ajit Pawar along”.
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