The background is the upheaval that followed the 2019 Assembly elections: the Shiv Sena, under Uddhav Thackeray's leadership, fought in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but walked out of it weeks later to join the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress grouping that calls itself the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
More fractures followed as both the Shiv Sena and the NCP split with factions led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar joining the BJP-led Mahayuti. Many old friends now became bitter foes and the erstwhile allies turned rivals.
There was some reflection of this political confusion in the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections. Smita Wagh, BJP member of Parliament (MP) from Jalgaon, said cautiously: "Yes, people found it strange that till yesterday we were attacking leaders like Ajit Pawar but now we are defending them."
It is not just that the old poles of power have shifted in political parties as a result of new alignments. It is also that new ones have emerged. For instance, Anees Ahmad, former member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Congress leader from Nagpur, confessed the new bonhomie between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav could lead to the Congress signing over several seats in Maharashtra to the SP, "seats that the Congress could have won".
And this much is clear: That in the upcoming Assembly election, negotiations over seat-sharing will be as important as actual outreach to voters.
This story is from the July 29, 2024 edition of Business Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 29, 2024 edition of Business Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Avoid partial payout: Buy health cover with fewer sub-limits
At a recent Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) summit, Satyajit Tripathi, member (distribution), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), highlighted that grievances in general insurance, especially health insurance, mainly revolve around claim payments.
'Largecaps appear reasonably valued'
Investors entering equities should come in with a long-term horizon to ensure short-term fluctuations amid high valuations do not derail the wealth generation, says DEEPAK SHENOY, chief executive officer and founder of Capitalmind.
Sustained FPI activity lifts Sensex, Nifty
Equity benchmark index Sensex rebounded nearly 100 points to hit a lifetime closing high on Monday and Nifty scaled an intraday record level, propelled by bargain hunting in energy, utility and banking stocks amid sustained foreign fund inflows.
Investors may book partial profit: Brokerages
Analysts on Monday attributed the blockbuster debut of Bajaj Housing Finance Ltd (BHFL) on the bourses to its strong fundamentals and the brand 'Bajaj', and said it could emerge as a long-term wealth creator.
Interest, trust of investors humbling: Sanjiv Bajaj
Sanjiv Bajaj, chairman and managing director of Bajaj Finserv, on Monday said he expected 12-15 per cent credit growth in the housing finance industry, amid the strong tailwinds in the economy.
Trent may replace Bajaj Finserv in Sensexrejig in December
Bajaj Housing Finance Ltd's impressive stock market debut has brought cheer to the 100year-old Bajaj Group, but the conglomerate faces the prospect of Bajaj Finserv being removed from the benchmark Sensex index.
Sebi withdraws earlier statement on staff unrest
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Monday said it was amicably addressing the concerns of its protesting employees on \"internal\" matters, as it withdrew an earlier press release that claimed that its staff's complaints were influenced by external elements.
The clash of 'will'power: The jury is still out
Following courtroom drama, experts analyse which one will dominate legal proceedings
FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE
Why New Delhi is underlining the role of border villages as custodians of India's frontiers
A fine balance
Markets in agriculture must be allowed to function