Full Page Print Ads by Shiv Sena Irks State BJP Unit

Is all not well between the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance in Maharashtra? There’s one more reason why the speculation is buzzing the state’s political circles.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday placed a full-page advertisement in several leading newspapers in Maharashtra titled ‘Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra’. The ad quotes a survey where Shinde is shown as more preferred for the top post than BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, who was the former Chief Minister and is the current deputy Chief Minister.

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The advertisement carries Sena’s bow and arrow symbol and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shinde. It has no image or photo of Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray.

One portion of the ad reads: “According to the survey done for the Chief Minister’s position, 26.1% of the people in Maharashtra desire Eknath Shinde and 23.2% of the people wish to see Devendra Fadnavis as the next Chief Minister.”

The ad further states: “It is undeniable proof that 49.3% of the people in Maharashtra wish to see a strong alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena for their state’s leadership.”

The figures and claims in the advertisement have been attributed to a Zee TV-Matrize survey.

FOLLOWING PAWAR’s ADVICE TO WOO VOTERS?

It is an indication that the BJP will be following the advice given to the Congress by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar a few months ago that “in the state, regional parties should be backed and given strength by national parties”.

According to sources within the BJP, while aiming to win the maximum seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is looking at reviving the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), by giving the regional parties the strength and confidence that they will lead the state and the BJP will support them.

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Sources also indicated that in case of Maharashtra, the BJP’s top leadership has drawn a clear line that the next state elections will be contested under the leadership of Shinde and Shiv Sena. This is also indication for the state BJP leadership to fall in line and work with Shinde.

According to sources in the Shiv Sena, the survey will help them get back old voters who were under the impression that they are not independent and are just another party working under the BJP. This survey has made it clear that “Shinde is preferred over other BJP leader”. “The fence-sitting voters will now come back to us and will support us in the driving seat,” said sources.

‘POLL RESULT WILL DECIDE’

Regarding Maharashtra, the ad says, “According to the election surveys, 30.2% citizens of Maharashtra prefer Bharatiya Janata Party, while 16.2% citizens prefer the Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde). These numbers show that a total of 46.4% people of Maharashtra trust the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance for the development of the state.”

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule tried to downplay the findings of this survey. “It is always the election result that decide which party or leader is more acceptable to the voters. Shinde as a cabinet minister was popular earlier and now his acceptance has increased as the chief minister. People of the state have a lot of expectations from Fadnavis, Shinde and Modi. As a state-level leader, the people of Maharashtra have given preference to Fadnavis twice. There is no comparison between the Shiv Sena and BJP about who is bigger or smaller party,” he said.

BAL THACKERAY’s PIC MISSING: ‘MODI-SHAH’S SHIV SENA’

The missing photo of Bal Thackeray in the advertisement, however, has put Shinde and his Shiv Sena in the dock. From day one of his defection from Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde has maintained that they are “carrying the baton Balasaheb’s thought and teachings, unlike Uddhav and his supporters”.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut reacted sharply to this ad. “It was Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena earlier, but the advertisement has cleared the air. It has now become Modi-Shah’s Shiv Sena,” he said.

The ad clearly indicates the BJP doesn’t want to portray their leader for the post of Chief Minister in the upcoming state elections.

Where does that leave Devendra Fadnavis? Is the BJP planning a bigger role for him in the future at the national level?