Fissures between the Shinde camp and the BJP over the alliance in the impending rural and urban local body elections as well as the next assembly and Lok Sabha elections emerged on the day when the Shinde-Fadnavis cabinet completed three months in office. This was made clear when Abdul Sattar, the agriculture minister, abruptly declared on Friday that he was against any partnership with the BJP in his Sillod assembly member in the Aurangabad district. Pratap Sarnaik, a member of the Shinde camp, is allegedly upset about a plan to hand over control of his Majiwada-Owala assembly constituency in Thane district to the BJP. Sarnaik and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are claimed to have spat verbally over this matter, notwithstanding their respective denials.
"I don't want to form an alliance with the BJP in my district; instead, there should be a friendly conflict." This applies not only to my constituency but to any constituency where a friendly fight ought to occur given the circumstances. Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis ought to talk about this. We will work together to establish a government after we are elected," stated Sattar.
The conflict between the Shinde camp and the
BJP, which has consistently declared its intention to win 200 seats or more in the state's next assembly elections, may grow as a result of Sattar's statement and Sarnaik's displeasure. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Sattar and Sarnaik's stance may put a stop to the BJP's Mission 45 because other MPs who have defected from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to the Shinde camp may make similar demands.
Furthermore, Sattar's assertion and Sarnaik's rumoured verbal altercation with Shinde are significant because a faction of the Shinde camp worries that the BJP will have a prominent role in state politics, which will have an impact on their own identity. Following the Dussehra rally, the topic is anticipated to be tackled during the Shinde camp. Sattar asserted that the electoral emblem, a bow and arrow, is not significant to him in the midst of the continuing legal dispute between the Thackeray side and the Shinde camp over the insignia. He declared, "Even if a dog is used as my election emblem, I will win.
"I assured Eknath Shinde that I would win the election even if he gave me a dog symbol. Someone weak need support. I am a worker who has no fear of anything. The position of an employee cannot be usurped. The position of worker never changes," stated Sattar. The positions of MLA, MP, and Minister, among others, will change.
Image Courtesy: BMC Elections 2022