Changed Political Equations After Ajit Pawar's Demise: How BJP will restore balance in Maharashtra?
Maharashtra: Following the demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken charge to restore the political balance that could be disrupted for the BJP. It is said that this is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi entrusted him with the responsibility of attending Ajit Pawar's funeral.
He was accompanied by the newly elected BJP National President, Nitin Nabin. It is being said that the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National President Nitin Nabin at Ajit Pawar's funeral in Baramati has made it clear how strategically important Maharashtra is for the BJP.
According to sources, the BJP's top leadership aims to restore the situation in Maharashtra to what it was when Ajit Pawar was alive within the next week. At that time, Ajit Pawar served as a balancing force for the BJP, preventing Eknath Shinde from exerting pressure or engaging in any kind of bargaining.
However, it is being said that after Ajit Pawar's demise, Eknath Shinde may once again indirectly or directly try to assert his power against the BJP. There are also apprehensions that if the Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction is not given due importance in the government, some of their MLAs might be attracted back to the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Plans to bring Sunetra Pawar to the Rajya Sabha
Moreover, the BJP leadership also believes that some MLAs from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction might also lean back towards the NCP (Sharad Pawar). If this happens, the BJP could face problems in running the Maharashtra government. To counter this, the BJP's first priority is to maintain the strength of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction as before. Keeping this in mind, the BJP leadership wants to bring his wife, Sunetra Pawar, into the state legislature. A section of the BJP is also in favor of making her the Deputy Chief Minister.
Prakash Kumar Pandey