BJP spokesperson Shaina NC on Tuesday joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and filed her nomination papers from the Mumbadevi constituency in Mumbai.
Shaina’s fast-paced political switchover was in line with nearly half a dozen BJP leaders jumping ship in poll-bound Maharashtra to get tickets from other partners of the ruling Mahayuti.
This peculiar trend is being seen as an effort by the BJP to extract a price for its “sacrifice” of the chief minister’s chair to Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and dominate the Mahayuti alliance in a state where fluid political loyalties have been afflicting most parties. Apart from fielding its own candidates, it is getting its members to join the allies and contest the polls.
Despite being the largest partner in the alliance, the BJP had rewarded Shinde with the chief minister’s post after he split the Shiv Sena, leading to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray government over two years ago.
Shaina, a fashion designer turned politician, joined the Shiv Sena in Shinde’s presence after the party announced her candidature from Mumbadevi on Monday night.
“I would like to thank our hon prime minister @narendramodi ji our dynamic chief minister @mieknathshinde ji and dy cm @Dev_Fadnavis ji and @AjitPawarSpeaks. Our Mahayuti leadership has given me an opportunity to serve the people of Mumbadevi for the assembly elections,” she posted on X after the Sena announced her candidature.
Before Shaina, prominent BJP leader Nilesh Rane had joined the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and was fielded by the party from the Kudal-Sawantwadi Assembly seat in the coastal Sindhudurg district.
Rane’s case also highlighted the dominance of political families in Maharashtra. He is the son of former chief minister and former Union minister Narayan Rane.
The political stalwart’s second son Nitesh has secured a BJP ticket to contest the November 20 polls.
“I am happy that both my sons have got tickets. Nitesh Rane got the ticket from the BJP and Nilesh Rane got it from the Shiv Sena…. I believe that both of them will win,” 72-year-old Narayan Rane, a BJP Lok Sabha member from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat, told reporters. The senior Rane had begun his political career in the Shiv Sena but changed political colours, joining even the Congress at one time, to retain power.
Four other BJP leaders have joined the NCP faction led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar — a Mahayuti constituent — in the past week. All of them were later fielded as NCP candidates from different constituencies, two being in the Sangli district.
Ajit Pawar, who split the erstwhile NCP led by his uncle and mentor Sharad Pawar, is also thankful to the BJP. Besides rewarding him with the deputy chief minister’s post and the finance portfolio in the Mahayuti government, the BJP has pushed under the carpet various corruption cases against him.
The BJP has already cornered a lion’s share of the seats within the Mahayuti. The party has so far announced 146 candidates out of the total 288 in the state. Insiders said the BJP aimed to emerge as the “single-largest party” to remain in pole position.
“Our target was to contest at least 160 seats but we had to make some sacrifices for our alliance partners. At the same time, allies accommodating some of our leaders on their tickets would ensure the unity of the Mahayuti,” a BJP leader said.
The BJP insiders feel that the Maharashtra elections would see a close contest between the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi and could usher another round of political realignments in the state to secure power.
Mahayuti blow
A new challenge for the Mahayuti emerged on Tuesday as Nawab Malik, accused by the BJP of having links with the underworld, filed his nomination papers as a candidate of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat.
The Shiv Sena has already fielded its candidate from the seat as the BJP was opposed to Malik’s candidature.
