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In a short span of one year, the BJP carried out ‘Operation Lotus’ twice in Maharashtra, splitting two mainstream regional parties, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar.
While some have raised questions on ethics, many argue, “Everything is fair in love, war — and politics.”
The BJP, which is the single-largest party in Maharashtra with 105 seats out of 288, has often adopted newer strategies to consolidate its organisational base to drive electoral success. In that context, exploiting the unrest within the regional parties to its political advantage was a well-scripted strategy. It was undertaken in both cases with adequate consultation of the central BJP leadership.
In 2014, under then state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, it emerged number one bagging 122 seats out of 288. The BJP-Shiv Sena coalition was formed with Fadnavis as CM. Five years later in 2019, the BJP won 105 seats. But its alliance partner Shiv Sena (then undivided) decided to join hands with the Congress-NCP.
The BJP termed this an “act of betrayal”. After two-and-a-half years, it engineered the split in Thackeray’s party through ‘Operation Lotus’. It was to avenge betrayal and teach Thackeray a lesson. With 40 Sena rebels along with 10 Independents on its side, the BJP dislodged the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). With Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis as his deputy, it has given the state a stable government.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena and the BJP have pledged to work together and contest as alliance partners. Thus, the question comes, what was the necessity to split the NCP and get it to join government.
According to state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, “The BJP believes in political expansion. If anybody wants to join us we welcome it. Ajit Pawar is a very able leader both as a politician and as an administrator. If he along with his MLAs wanted to join the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition it is an endorsement of PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and good governance.”
A senior BJP functionary explained, “A split in any party cannot happen without sharp differences within. The politics of Sharad Pawar where Ajit Pawar was systematically being sidelined invited backlash. The BJP kept its doors open. There are feelers from Congress leaders also. But we will wait for the right moment.”
BJP political managers admit, “By splitting Thackeray’s Sena, they dislodged the MVA. They formed their own government providing good governance. While the Shinde-led faction helped to them get back in power, electorally they were still on a sticky wicket. Especially in Western Maharashtra which has remained an NCP bastion.”
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, out of 11 seats in Western Maharashtra, the NCP won three. In the Assembly polls, out of 70 seats it won 27. NCP’s total seats across Maharashtra was four out of 48 in the Lok Sabha and 54 out of 288 in the Assembly.
By winning two-third NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar to its fold, the BJP has ensured a stronger alliance not only in the sugar belt of Western Maharashtra but also in parts of Marathwada and North Maharashtra. With senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal on its side, the BJP has bolstered OBC leadership and gained foothold in North Maharashtra. With Ajit Pawar, Dilip Walse Patil, Hussain Mushriff it plans to make deeper inroads in Western Maharashtra. Aditi Tatkare brings dividends in Raigad district.
With the split in NCP, the MVA has become weaker. Though the Congress remains the dominant party, it is grappling with in-house differences.
The split in the NCP is set to alter the permutation and combination of Maharashtra. Traditionally, Maharashtra politics veered around two major fronts — Shiv Sena-BJP versus Congress-NCP. But post 2019 polls, it was BJP versus MVA.
After the split in Thackeray’s party, the BJP got a new alliance partner in Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). Now, it has added another alliance partner, Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Insiders in Ajit Pawar camp revealed, “Ajit is blunt but straightforward. He is ambitious but committed. He felt he was stumped twice by his own uncle Sharad Pawar. Once in 2019 when he was led to believe the NCP would support the BJP alliance. But at the eleventh hour Pawar Sr backtracked. Ajit Pawar could never reconcile to Thackeray leadership’s in MVA. Second time, he was denied charge of state party president post. By making Supriya Sule working president in-charge of Maharashtra, Ajit’s wings were clipped within the party.”
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