NEW DELHI: In Maharashtra, maintaining I.N.D.I Alliance unity is a challenge.
Post becoming Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s real litmus test will be in the three Assembly elections of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand in October-November. Additionally another challenge for him would be to keep the I.N.D.I Alliance ahead of these elections.
Another significant event could be the announcement of early elections in Bihar by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. If this happens, Bihar will hold its Assembly elections with the other three states. Haryana is the only state where Congress has declared it will contest the elections alone. Bhupendra Singh Hooda is the likely Chief Ministerial face of the Congress. So far, the atmosphere in all three states is in favour of the I.N.D.I Alliance. However, the BJP says that just as it surprised everyone in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the results in these states will also be in its favour.
In Maharashtra, maintaining I.N.D.I Alliance unity is a challenge. The Aam Aadmi Party has already been excluded, as well as Prakash Ambedkar’s party. Major issues exist among Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP regarding seats and leadership. Congress opposes naming a single candidate as the face of the campaign, while Shiv Sena wants to position Uddhav Thackeray as the CM candidate. Additionally, Sharad Pawar has expressed his desire to become Chief Minister. This disagreement over the CM candidate complicates the situation.
Congress won the highest number of Lok Sabha seats from the state, 13, so wants the maximum number of seats to contest in the 288-seat Assembly. Several rounds of meetings took place between the leaders of the three parties in Mumbai last week, but no official announcement was made. Generally, Congress is expected to contest more than 125 seats. Uddhav Thackeray’s party, which won 9 Lok Sabha seats, wants to contest on 90 seats, with the remaining seats going to Sharad Pawar’s party. Congress is trying to position itself as the senior partner and intends to claim the CM post after the elections. So far, both NCP and Congress have assured Uddhav Thackeray not to worry. However, Pawar’s public statements are a concern for Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar believes that their alliance can secure 225 out of 288 seats. But if Congress and NCP (Pawar) together win more than 150 seats, Thackeray will have little influence. The choice of CM will depend on Pawar and Rahul Gandhi.
The situation in Maharashtra will become clear only after the meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Currently, the leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi are emphasizing unity. However, cross-voting by Congress MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections in favour of the NDA, is seen as a significant setback for Congress, Pawar, and Thackeray. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party is claiming 4 to 5 seats in Maharashtra, which Congress will have to allocate from its share. The decision will not be easy.