New Delhi (17.08.2024): Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackrey is not getting as much attention as he got when he parted ways from the NDA which had refused to accept him as Maharashtra CM in 2019. Despite all his efforts, Maha Vikas Aghari (MVA) is not ready to announce his name as Chief Ministerial candidate while elections are not too far.

Speaking in the presence of his alliance partners on Friday, Thackrey requested them to announce the name of Chief Ministerial candidate of MVA even if it is not him. But this is being dubbed as a strategy to put pressure on allies by the Thackrey scion. Political analysts say that this is just a tactic as he would not accept anyone as the CM who also said that the number of seats doesn’t matter while taking a call on the name of the CM candidate.

The three constituents of MVA – Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and the Congress – have failed to reach any consensus on the name of the CM candidate so far. However, looking at the Lok Sabha results, the Congress is the biggest party in the alliance while Shiv Sena (UT) is at number two with nine seats and NCP is third with eight seats. But the strike rate of SS (UBT) was not better than the Congress and NCP (SP).

In such a scenario, why would the Congress concede the post of the CM to the SS (UBT) when it has better chances of winning more seats than other members of MVA. The Congress is already buoyant by winning 99 Lok Sabha seats across the country. The party also knows well that if SS (UBT) leaves the alliance, it will not get any better deal in the NDA and the post of the CM certainly will not. When Thackrey broke his alliance with the BJP, the situation was different.

During the last tenure when Thackrey was conceded as the CM, it was Sharad Pawar who prevailed upon the Congress to accept him to head the state administration to keep the BJP out of power but the same will not happen this time round. Why so? First, the Congress too is harbouring the ambition of getting the top job in Maharashtra if MVA emerges the winning alliance. Second, Sharad Pawar too wants his daughter Supriya Sule to become Maharashtra CM as becoming minister at the Centre was diminished after I.N.D.I.A. failing to get the required number of Lok Sabha seats to form the government. Third, alliance partners know very well that after diluting Hindutva identity, Thackrey is not the first preference of Hindutva voters and whatever success he got in Lok Sabha elections, it was due to secular voters of the Congress and NCP (SP).

The only condition that may anoint Uddhav Thackrey to the post of CM is that SS (UBT) wins more seats than rest of the MVA partners which is the most unlikely possibility. His demand may be accepted if the difference between number one and two in the MVA is not much. The most interesting aspect is that it was senior Pawar who had negotiated for Thackrey in 2019 that the post of CM should be given to him but this is unlikely this time round.

There is an interesting aspect of Maharashtra politics that SP is no longer supporting UT for CM’s post because if NCP emerges as the single largest party or even remains second, he may negotiate and press for Supriya Sule to be made Maharashtra CM. Why would he waste his negotiating skills for Thackrey whose utility for the alliance is over. He is rather proving to be a liability. So, Sharad Pawar will work for her daughter to become Maharashtra CM rather he might have already started working for it. No one can guess his political moves which is his biggest strength.

(By Vinod Kumar Shukla)