Maharashtra: Does BJP have problem managing allies?

Union Minister Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena on Monday quit the Modi government at Centre after BJP and Sena parted ways in Maharashtra is not the first instance of any ally deserting the NDA ship.

While Sena, the oldest ally, walked out of NDA breaking 35-year-old ties, the second oldest ally of NDA, Nitish Kumar’s Janta Dal (United) (JD(U)), which had broken away from the saffron alliance in 2013 snapping its 17-year-long association with the NDA, finally came back to NDA's fold in 2017.

Sena had fought 2014 assembly polls separately from the BJP before coming together again to form the government. This time, despite fighting elections together, putting aside years-long differences, Sena and BJP could not move further to form a government.

While BJP is growing exponentially, parties frequently quitting the alliance remains a blackspot. With Sena that shared ideological commonalities with BJP quitting, the BJP faces a challenge in many states from its friends due to common competing political space.

Pre-2019 Lok Sabha polls period saw many small allies quitting the alliance. While Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party in UP quit the alliance in May, another ally, Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party in Bihar walked out and joined hands with BJP’s main rival Lalu Prasad-led RJD.

But both of them failed to make an impact in Lok Sabha polls while the BJP managed to win back Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) that had parted ways from it on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, two months ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

Raju Shetty’s Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatan had in Maharashtra walked out of the alliance in August 2018. The BJP severed ties with Jammu and Kashmir’s PDP in last June citing national interests. Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP was the first NDA ally to quit in March 2018.

Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai says contrary to perception, Sena did not have a rigid ideological plank in the past. It had no direct association with RSS or Hindu Mahasabha. It allied with not only Congress but also the Muslim League in the past.

"Of late, though it veered towards Hindutva pitch, they do not have a face now after the demise of Bal Thackeray to appeal to Hindutva voters, which can match Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. As such BJP is eating away the Hindutva space. So Sena has to look for alternatives.”

Kidwai points to the background of Sena-Congress relationship. Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray had supported the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 when most of the non-Congress parties were up in arms against it.

Now as Sena is trying to cosy up with the Congress and the NCP, doubts are being expressed over the duration of this marriage of convenience. The Congress, which has stakes in many north-Indian states and is the main recipient of Muslim votes in many states, has its own problems aligning with Sena due to its stand against Muslims and north-Indians. However, for political survival, parties are expected to work out an alliance in this case as well.

Sena’s non-BJP tie-ups

Sena supported Congress in 1977 polls, a decision for which it had also to face the wrath of the Janata Party government, which rode to power in that election with decimating Indira Gandhi.

Sena, again supported Congress in 1980 Maharashtra polls.

In 1971 allied with the Congress (O), a faction rival to Indira Gandhi after Congress split in 1969.

Though no formal alliance could be made, Thackeray had supported in 1979 Indian Muslim League leader Ghulam Muhammad Banatwala in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election.

Ally trouble bugged other parties too

Congress and Samajwadi Party, which had fought 2017 assembly polls together, fought against each other in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The BSP and the SP, which fought 2019 Lok Sabha polls together, broke away their alliance soon after the results.

Congress-JDS, which came together to form a government in Karnataka post hung verdict in 2018 state polls, also parted ways after the alliance government fell due to internal contradictions and the outside push from the BJP.