The BJP’s constant attempts to pull up the Thackeray government have made things difficult for the Chief Minister.
Mumbai: As the coronavirus pandemic has spread in Maharashtra, so has the discontent in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. While the Uddhav Thackeray government is already facing a big challenge due to the rising Covid-19 cases in the state, Thackeray is having to contend with another headache—the increasing political tussle not only with now opposition and then ally BJP, but with then opposition Congress and NCP and now allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Be it ministerial posts or legislative council polls or bureaucrats or now the issue of reimposing lockdown in Mumbai, the difference of opinion within the Maha Vikas Aghadi has come out in the open. First, it was the Congress which openly expressed its disappointment on certain issues with Uddhav Thackeray and now it’s NCP which is miffed with Thackeray and his style of working in handling the pandemic in worst-affected Maharashtra. The BJP’s constant attempts to pull up the Thackeray government have made things difficult for the Chief Minister—it seems a big political slugfest in Maharashtra. On Friday, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar went to meet Uddhav Thackeray at the Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial site in Dadar to discuss the 2 km “Lakshman Rekha” rule in Mumbai and frequent lockdowns. As per sources, in the more than an hour meeting, Pawar didn’t only discuss about these things, but also gave Uddhav Thackeray advice and lessons on handling the pandemic by sharing his past experience as Maharashtra chief minister in handling such crises.
All this happened in the backdrop of several Congress and NCP ministers in the state Cabinet not being consulted over various decisions. One of such decisions was the decision-making process pertaining to lockdown orders and rising cases of Covid-19. There is reimposition of lockdown by civic bodies neighbouring Mumbai like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Dombivali after the Chief Minister announced an extension of the ongoing lockdown. Amid confusion of whether or not complete lockdown will be reimposed in specific areas and different rules being imposed, citizens are angry and the NCP and Congress have also expressed displeasure over not being kept in the loop. Sharad Pawar reportedly also discussed the related coordination between the three parties of Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The other issue is bureaucrats. Many leaders, politicos and even ministers within the government feel that bureaucrats are heard and considered, rather than ministers in Cabinet. Like then chief secretary Ajoy Mehta who was recently appointed as the chief advisor to Uddhav Thackeray after he retired as chief secretary. He was the same officer who was opposed by the Congress-NCP during his appointment in the CMO office. This “elevation” has made the Congress and NCP worry about dominance of bureaucrats in government. Sharad Pawar advised Thackeray to take local political leaders and ministers in the government into confidence for larger public interest, rather than bureaucrats and government officials.
The other decision was about the 2km “Lakshman Rekha” by Mumbai police whereby cops prohibited citizens from venturing beyond the 2km radius of their homes, except for office goers and medical emergencies. This rule resulted in cops taking strict action in which many vehicles were impounded. Many within the state Cabinet were not happy with this.
The NCP chief has also conveyed how since the beginning, he has been saying that the state cannot be under a prolonged lockdown and that lack of economic activity will make state suffer more on economic terms. The strict rules of lockdown should be relaxed, while moving towards unlock at least in areas not much affected by the coronavirus. It is understood that Sharad Pawar has requested the Chief Minister to consider the rising unemployment of the people. The burden on the state coffers is also increasing exponentially. So there was a discussion on how to increase revenue.
Lastly, Pawar also discussed the increasing number of corona cases and ways to check them. There was a detailed discussion on all the issues that should be taken into account while checking the corona pandemic.
It was on 18 June when senior state Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavhan met the Chief Minister to discuss Congress’ complaints with the government. Senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday alleged that there was a lack of coordination among the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and also between Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his Cabinet in fighting Covid-19.
While the first priority should be to tackle the outbreak, it’s important for Thackeray to take along everyone, all his allies plus the BJP, and to clear the air on the impression that bureaucrats are heard and considered, rather than ministers in Cabinet.
Also, other parties should understand that it’s pandemic time and they should not play politics. To win the war against the coronavirus in the state, it’s important that politicians understand that politics can wait.