Mumbai: As campaigning for the most crucial phase of local body polls – to 29 municipal corporations across the state including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) – kicks off, a fresh slugfest has broken out among parties that are part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the state.
Slugfest among Mahayuti allies peaks as phase 2 of local body polls approach
The slugfest commenced on Friday, when deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged corruption in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC); the BJP was voted to power in the corporation in the previous election. The BJP leadership responded sharply, warning Pawar about dire consequences.
Barring Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the ruling allies are fighting amongst each other in other poll-bound cities including Jalgaon, Mira-Bhayander, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
The fresh friction among Mahayutri allies comes after leaders from the three main parties – BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP – resolved to improve their coordination in the two remaining phases of local body polls. The first round of polling, for municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state, had witnessed violent clashes between Mahayuti allies in several places.
On Friday, Pawar said that the PCMC was once known as the richest civic body in the state, but was now reeling under the debt because of corruption during the BJP’s rule.
BJP state unit chief Ravindra Chavan hit back on Saturday, saying the party regretted having joined hands with Ajit Pawar to form the state government. “Not only BJP workers from Pune, even I was skeptical of inducting NCP in the government,” Chavan said.
He also said that Ajit Pawar should look at his own party before leveling any allegations against the BJP.
On Sunday, however, Chavan said such things happen during the elections.
“Every leader tries to safeguard the interest of his party and such remarks come from there,” he said.
Higher and technical education minister and senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil warned Pawar of dire consequences.
“The people who have been threatening us should keep in mind that the chief minister and home minister are with us. Do not try to take us for granted and don’t take us lightly either,” Patil said during a public function in Pune.
The ruling parties are at loggerheads elsewhere in the state too.
In Mira-Bhayandar, BJP MLA Narendra Mehta is locked in a spat with Shiv Sena leader transport minister Pratap Sarnaik. Mehta alleged that Sarnaik had a tacit understanding with the Congress and the Sena and BJP could not join hands because of Sarnaik. Sarnaik shot back, saying the Sena’s hanumans (meaning poll candidates) would burn Ravan’s Lanka (referring to Mehta’s clout in the city).
In Jalgaon, Shiv Sena MLAs Kishor Patil and Gulabrao Patil hit out at the BJP during a poll rally. Kishor Patil said that he was not scared of action by the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax authorities or the police; neither was he afraid of being jailed.
“I have worked in jail for nine years and am not bothered, even if I am sent to jail for a couple of years (for taking a stand against BJP),” Kishor Patil said.
Gulabrao Patil, who is also the water supply minister, shot back, saying, “I can say many things, but I will not as I am in the cabinet and need to keep cordial relations with the chief minister and deputy deputy chief ministers too.”
In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the BJP and Shiv Sena have fielded candidates against each other, which has led to clashes between leaders from the two parties.
In Chandrapur, the BJP is struggling to keep its house in order. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had recently held a rally there to ensure that two warring party factions, led by Sudhir Mungantiwar and Kishor Jorgewar, bury the hatchet for the municipal corporation polls.
In Mumbai, BJP and Sena are having ‘friendly fights’ in some wards, including ward number 225 where Rahul Narwekar’s sister-in-law and BJP candidate Harshita Narwekar is up against Shiv Sena’s Sujat Sanap.
Revenue minister Chandrakant Bawankule said such instances and infighting would not affect the alliance.
“The alliance is going to live long and these remarks will have no bearing on it,” Bawankule, the BJP’s state in-charge, said.
He also noted on Sunday that Pawar’s statement about corruption in the PCMC was unwarranted and against the spirit of the alliance.
“We had decided that there would be no attacks among Mahayuti allies, at least at the state level. What Ajit Pawar has said is not in accordance with the agreement between the ruling allies. He should have avoided the utterances,” Bawankule said.
Mumbai-based political analyst Hemant Desai said Mahayuti allies were attacking each other despite an official announcement regarding desisting from disagreements and counter-accusations.
“It is perhaps the need of the hour, because in some civic bodies, these parties are fighting against each other. Like in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, NCP cannot win without attacking the BJP, which was in power earlier. Similarly, in other parts, BJP and Shiv Sena are fighting each other and attacks are inevitable,” Desai said.
The bickering among Mahayuti allies helps them occupy the opposition’s space, which could ultimately help them politically, he noted.
“Once the elections are over, they will happily come together to form the bodies,” he said.
A BJP leader corroborated Desai’s views, saying the infighting among Mahayuti allies would conclude once polls to municipal corporations ended.
“Tension prevails because of local equations, as we are fighting against each other in many bodies. In the absence of any opposition in most corporations, ruling parties have occupied the space and such tussle is inevitable. But once the elections are over, things will normalise,” the BJP leader said.