Fadnavis Tightens Grip On Maharashtra BJP

The CM sidelined several bigwigs whose relations with him had soured of late, without the high command backing him

- Nistula Hebbar

The big mystery of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance — how many seats each party will get and who will get more — may have shifted focus from the clout of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Maharashtra unit of the BJP. Last week, however, as some spurts of rebellion arose in the Mumbai unit following the finalisation of some city seats, the true extent of Mr. Fadnavis’ dominance of the party in his State, a five-year project, was revealed.

The list of candidates released by the Maharashtra BJP saw the sidelining of several bigwigs, many of whose relations with Mr. Fadnavis had soured of late. The fact that the high command in Delhi backed him fully on the list, though some of those replaced (like Ghatkopar MLA Prakash Mehta) are considered close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is significant.

Eased out