Mumbai: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar heaped praise on Eknath Shinde, a move that caught the entire Maharashtra political brass by surprise. If some were shocked, in other parties, feathers were ruffled. An irate Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) criticised Pawar for heaping praise on Shinde for his “decisive leadership”.
The sudden friendship isn’t just a chance remark. Political watchers say that the move is nothing but payback time and an attempt to take a jab at Thackeray who has been seen cozying up to Devendra Fadnavis. Leaving aside the bitterness and caustic remarks and accusations traded by both sides over the past five years, Thackeray and Fadnavis are seen to be enjoying each other’s company. If Uddhav met him a few months ago after the new government was sworn in, Aditya met the Chief Minister again in the recent past. A few hours after Fadnavis sent out a political message by visiting Raj Thackeray’s Shivaji Park home, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders paid the BJP leader a courtesy visit. “Your enemy’s enemy should be your friend is what’s being played out in Maharashtra,” says a senior BJP leader from Maharashtra.
It's no secret that the relationship between Fadnavis and Shinde is at an all-time low. Miffed with losing the chief minister’s chair, Shinde sulked for days. It is said that as the chief minister, he left no stone unturned to make it difficult for BJP ministers. Even now, Shinde goes into hiding at his native place each time things don’t go his way. “For Fadnavis, a good way to unsettle Shinde is to hobnob with Thackeray. But, this is unlikely to translate into a political reunion or reconciliation,” says the BJP politician.
The sudden camaraderie between Fadnavis and Thackeray is reason enough for Pawar to take a shot at his ally in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, a party that’s always seen as an unnatural ally. And what better way to do that than to praise the very man who shattered Thackeray’s dream run as the chief minister?
Apart from revenge, there’s more in the political pot. A BJP minister says that such remarks are an attempt to create a rift in the MVA such that Pawar can break away from it and join hands with his nephew to be on the treasury benches. For, there’s trouble brewing in the senior Pawar’s party as well. There’s talk of senior party leaders, including a member of his family, waiting to cross over to the BJP. To stem the leak, Pawar may consider reuniting with Ajit. “His recent statement could well lay the grounds for a split in the MVA. Sanjay Raut has already publicly expressed his displeasure which also seems like a ploy to find Pawar an exit from the MVA,” says the BJP leader.
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