4 min readPuneAug 20, 2024 03:10 PM IST
First published on: Aug 20, 2024 at 01:14 PM IST
Leaders from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra said on Tuesday that recent developments in the state have given a clear indication that all is not well in the Mahayuti and predicted that the internal strife in the ruling alliance will lead to its downfall.
“The way the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena leaders are pouring scorn on one another, it is increasingly becoming clear that the Mahayuti will fall under its own weight sooner than later,” Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
Mahesh Tapase, NCP (SP) spokesperson, echoed the sentiment, saying the Mahayuti would collapse before the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
The MVA leaders’ remarks followed two incidents that took place in the last two days.
On Sunday, BJP leaders and workers waved black flags at Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar for not inviting them to a tourism development meeting in Pune district’s Junnar taluka. The NCP immediately condemned the incident, asking Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to clarify. The BJP, however, did not issue a statement.
A day later, on Monday, BJP minister Ravindra Chavan and Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam were involved in an ugly spat over the shoddy work of the Mumbai-Goa highway, with Kadam criticising Chavan as ineffective.
The BJP did not waste time in attacking Kadam. “Does making such accusations suit Yuti Dharma? Both sides should follow Yuti Dharma. We are also human beings. You should remember this. We can also make 50 statements against you. Every time, you cannot attack BJP leaders, this only spoils the sentiments against each other,” Fadnavis said, moments after Kadam and Chavan argued.
“The three constituents of the Mahayuti are a divided lot. There is a struggle going on among the Mahayuti constituents. Every day, they are quarreling among themselves. One minister is threatening to beat up a leader of an alliance partner. It is clear that their differences have reached a new high,” Raut said, adding that Mahayuti leaders are also going to bicker over seat allocation ahead of the Assembly polls.
“The BJP has dismantled the political fabric of Maharashtra by orchestrating defections and weakening the Opposition. However, the people of Maharashtra sent a resounding message by rejecting the ruling coalition in the recent Lok Sabha elections, which exposed the discontent with this unholy alliance,” Raut added.
Citing the allegations made by Kadam as a sign of the deteriorating relations within the alliance, Tapase said, “Monday’s ugly spat happened immediately a day after BJP supporters showed black flags to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during his Jan Samman Yatra, further fuelling speculation about deepening fissures within the government.”
“There is no coordination between the constituent parties of the Mahayuti, no mutual respect, and no genuine concern for the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. The Mahayuti alliance exists solely to retain power and protect its members from legal scrutiny,” he added.
Tapase suggested that both Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis were unhappy with Ajit Pawar’s attempts to hijack the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship scheme of the current administration.
Tapase questioned why Opposition leaders were not invited to the launch of this government-funded scheme, hinting that the ruling coalition was more interested in playing politics than serving the people. He also predicted the resurgence of the MVA government, positioning it as the true representative of the people’s will.
On Sunday, BJP leaders and workers waved black flags at Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar for not inviting them to a tourism development meeting in Pune district’s Junnar taluka 
Share
