It is clear from the results of Maharashtra elections that once again, the government will be formed by the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the state – but who will play the bigger role in the alliance, and who will have to be satisfied with playing younger brother? That seems to be the issue in question.
After the results on Thursday, 24 October, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the party will not back down from ‘fifty-fifty’.
Thackeray, in his press conference, made it clear that he will not back down from the agreement which he made with Amit Shah during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which said that he will not back down from the post of chief minister.
However, both the parties have lost seats this time, compared to 2014. In the 2014 Assembly elections, there was no alliance between the two parties and both contested alone on all seats.
Since none of the parties got majority, they decided to form a coalition government. However, having secured fewer votes than BJP, Shiv Sena had to make do with a smaller role.
At that time, in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, the Sena did not get any major ministerial posts.
During BMC elections, the Shiv Sena and BJP alliance was broken and the party had gone to the extent of saying they will never form a government with the BJP again.
Cut to the current results: The Shiv Sena has made it clear that there is not going to be any younger or elder brother business, and that both parties have equal strength.
Uddhav is clearly going to milk this opportunity to build pressure on the BJP.
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