RSS Slams BJP-NCP Alliance, No Sena in Cabinet: What's Up with Maharashtra NDA?

Since Lok Sabha election results, intra & inter-party friction continues in 3 Mahayuti allies- BJP, Shiv Sena & NCP.

Cracks in Maharashtra NDA

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

The Shiv Sena (SHS) having no minister in the prime minister's cabinet, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) rejecting a ministerial berth, and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh's (RSS) mouthpiece openly attacking the Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra is grappling with intra and inter-party friction since their dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

The latest expression of displeasure came from the Shiv Sena (SHS), led by Eknath Shinde, over getting no berth in PM Narendra Modi's cabinet which was sworn in on 9 June.

"Considering our strike rate, we should have got a cabinet berth. There are some parties in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that only have a single MP, they still got cabinet berths. So, what was the reason behind the BJP's attitude towards the Shiv Sena?" asked Shrirang Barne, SHS MP from Maval assembly, a day after the cabinet was sworn in.

Barne's point was simple, and for many logical – If parties with lesser MPs and vote share could get a cabinet berth, why not the Shiv Sena? After all, by winning seven of the 14 seats it contested, SHS had the best strike rate among the three allies in the state.

But Barne's objections point to some bigger churns underway in Maharashtra's ruling alliance since the elections results.

Why Snubbing Sena is a Big Deal

With Ajit Pawar's NCP, the BJP may be able to get away by citing his dismal electoral performance. Pawar's party, that broke away and joined the NDA last year, secured just one of the four seats it contested in the Lok Sabha polls this time.

In every NDA government at the Centre, at least one Shiv Sena MP has been a party of the Union Cabinet.

Shinde's Sena, this time, is the fourth-largest party in the NDA with seven MPs and a 13 percent vote share. However, parties with lesser electoral successes were given berths in the Union Cabinet.

• Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Chief Chirag Paswan took oath as a Union Minister despite having only five MPs and a 6.47 percent vote share.

• Janata Dal (Secular)'s HD Kumaraswamy was awarded a cabinet berth despite having just two MPs and a 5.6 percent vote share.

• Hindustani Awam Morcha's Jitan Ram Manji also found a place in Modi's cabinet despite contesting and winning from just one seat.

Similarly, Jayant Chaudhry's Rashtriya Lok Dal (two MPs) and Anupriya Patel's Apna Dal (one MP) were given Minister of State (MoS) berths while having less than 3 percent of the vote share.

Republican Party of India's Ramdas Athawale, despite not contesting the elections, was also inducted as Minister of State.

Hence, Shinde Sena's Prataprao Jadhav having to settle for an MoS berth, despite the party's electoral credentials, does not add up.

Moreover, the BJP's return to power in the state in 2022 was due to Shinde and his rebellion. It also proved to have a better strike rate in the Lok Sabha polls than the NCP, which was inducted into the NDA at the cost of several state cabinet berths that were promised to Shinde's MLAs.

Unsurprisingly, headlines on the BJP once again attempting to sideline Shinde's Sena were inevitable. However, there is still scope for the Sena to be accommodated when the cabinet is expanded.

"Yes, people are disappointed. The Shiv Sena did well in the seats allotted to us. Yet, people like Chirag Paswan and Manjhi have been given better posts. This will demoralise cadres ahead of elections and give material to our critics," said a senior leader of the party on the condition of anonymity.

In the second Modi cabinet (2019-2024), Arvind Sawant was given a union berth for a united Shiv Sena but he resigned in November 2019 after the Sena broke away from the NDA. However, no leaders of Shinde's Sena were given a cabinet berth after the breakaway faction joined hands with the BJP in 2022 either.

'Raising Displeasure Publicly Inappropriate': BJP

Barne's comments evoked a sharp response from the BJP, with MLA Pravin Darekar taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to call the comments inappropriate.

"I don't think it is appropriate to express such resentment towards each other publicly while being a part of the Mahayuti. Shrirang Barne's displeasure is neither for the party, nor for Ajit Pawar, nor for Shinde. If it was Barne taking oath as a minister instead of Prataprao Jadhav, he would have been satisfied with what they got. But his statement has come from the place where he has not been sworn in as a Union Minister. This is just his way of expressing his anger and displeasure over the same," Darekar said.

The rumblings in the ruling alliance first came to the fore when the Ajit Pawar led NCP refused to accept the MoS position for Praful Patel.

Speaking to the media, Patel said that "misunderstanding is being created over the matter."

"I have been a part of the cabinet before. I myself did have a reservation to accept an MoS independent charge as for me, personally, it would mean demotion. So, we have informed the BJP leadership and they have said just for a few days and we will take remedial measures," Patel said.

Maharashtra deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, 10 June, said that the berths have been assigned as per certain criteria set within the alliance and the same cannot be changed for one party (NCP).

Meanwhile, six MPs from Maharashtra took oath as ministers along with PM Modi – two as Union Ministers and four as MoS. Four of them were from the BJP, including Nitin Gadkari.

Mahayuti Wobbles With Discontent

The friction in the Mahayuti also comes just months ahead of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra.

The general elections this year were mostly contested on state-specific issues like the anger of breaking two regional parties, agrarian distress, and the Maratha reservation.

Clearly, these issues will continue to weigh down on voters with not much time left for the Assembly polls in the state.

Signs of unrest and discontent within the Sena and the NCP are clear. Since the results, both these parties have been publicly voicing their demands for more seats in the Assembly polls.

After demanding 80 seats in the Assembly elections just days ahead of the Lok Sabha results, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said that both NCP and SHS must get an equal number of seats in the state elections.

Addressing a rally, Bhujbal said, "The BJP is like our elder brother. We have told them that just like Eknath Shinde, we too have 40-45 MLAs. Hence, both parties should get an equal number of seats. Nobody should assume that since Shinde's party now has more MPs, they should get more seats in the Assembly elections."

While five party MLAs were absent in the meeting called by Ajit Pawar immediately after the election results last week, the aforementioned party leader confirmed that many Sena MLAs complained of "no work and support from BJP and NCP allies" in their respective constituencies in a meeting called by Shinde on Monday.

However, on reports of leaders approaching Sena (UBT), the leader said: "It's difficult to go back. We are the Shiv Sena now. What happened is unfortunate. Cadres will happy if party is united again. But it is up to top leaders (of both sides)."

"Yes we have to introspect. But there is still some time to go for the elections. The CM has a good image and the state polls will be based on state factors. Also, we don't know if the Opposition also stays united," they said.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis' image as the supreme leader of Maharashtra has also come under the scanner.

The strike rate of the BJP in the elections was worse than that of the Congress, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar's NCP. His move of breaking regional parties and joining hands with the breakaway factions, particularly the NCP, is being questioned by several political quarters, including the RSS.

In a scathing piece critical of the BJP, RSS functionary Ratan Sharda, in an editorial written for the outfit's mouthpiece Organiser, questioned the rationale behind joining hands with Ajit Pawar calling it a "prime example of unnecessary politicking and avoidable manipulations."

"NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar joined BJP, though BJP and split SS (Shiv Sena) had a comfortable majority. Sharad Pawar would have faded away in two-three years as NCP would have lost energy with infighting between cousins. Why was this ill-advised step taken?" the editorial read.

"BJP supporters were hurt because they had fought against this Congress ideology for years and were persecuted. In a single stroke, BJP reduced its brand value. After years of struggle to become numero uno in Maharashtra, it became just another political party without any difference," it further stated.

While parties of the Mahayuti continue to introspect, a meeting of BJP MLAs and senior leaders of the state is scheduled in Mumbai on 14 June.