Who Will Rule Maharashtra? A Look at Three Possible Alliances

Kaun banega mukhyamantri (who will be CM)? This one question has been bothering Maharashtra for over a week now.

Look at the political chessboard. Foes have turned friends in Haryana for the sake of power, but the so-called friends in Maharashtra are having a power tussle. Let's weigh the different possibilities of government formation in Maharashtra.

Possibility 1: BJP-Sena Sort Out Mess

Shiv Sena and the BJP come together, find a middle ground to each other's demands and we all live happily ever after. But this is Indian politics, and the Sena is throwing tantrums and playing politics of pressure. Pressure for what, you may ask?

Brihanmumbai Mahanagar Palik, the BMC, Mumbai’s civic body, whose budget is larger than that of some states in India. The BJP has given a free hand to the Shiv Sena despite being equally strong in it and Uddhav would pretty much like it to be that way.

Moreover, the Sena is looking to fish out some key portfolios for itself in the next government, which includes home, finance and revenue.

But these tantrums have blown up and there can be two possibilities if the Sena and the BJP fail to come to an agreement.

Possibility 2: NCP & Cong Crown Sena King

The nation has been on its toes ever since Sena’s Sanjay Raut met with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. If sources are to be believed, the Maharashtra Congress, which came a distant fourth in the elections, is ready to give external support to the Shiv Sena, but the party high command will have the final word.

If we look at the numbers, the Congress can help the Sena-NCP come to power. Shiv Sena now officially stands at 63 with the help of Independents. And with the NCP’s 54 and Congress’ 44, the total tally is 161, which is a comfortable majority above the halfway mark of 144.

Possibility 3: NCP Helps BJP Take the Throne

If the NCP decides to provide external support to the BJP, it's a win-win for both the parties. In this scenario, the NCP might be getting publicly closer to the Sena so that it gets a better backdoor bargain with the BJP, considering the ED cases that the NCP netas are currently facing.

And in return, the NCP might walk out during the floor test, helping Fadnavis prove his majority. This won't come as a surprise, since in 2014 as well, the NCP did declare external support to the BJP to help Fadnavis form the government.

But the second and third possibilities would only mean the loss of credibility for all. The Shiv Sena in its party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said that the BJP is its ideological ally.

Moreover, the NCP-Congress alliance has always been the ideological opponent of the Sena- BJP. The one question the voters will ask is, 'Did we really vote for an alliance like that?' Secondly, an alliance like this will have repercussions for all in national politics.

Who will come to power in Maharashtra? Considering the current scenario, the sole purpose of each party seems to be political survival, and it looks like the fate of the Sena-BJP will eventually be sealed in Delhi.

As the saying goes, the fear of end and isolation is what our deeds are driven by.