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Maharashtra ad row: Sena ruffles feathers before placating BJP

Tale of two ads: Old advertisement (left) and new advertisement issued by Shiv Sena

MUMBAI: The political circle in Maharashtra is abuzz with the possible rift between Chief minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The smoke of doubt rose after Shinde’s Shiv Sena released a full-page advertisement, ‘Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra’, in several newspapers on Tuesday.

At first glance, the advertisement looked innocuous, as Sena leaders shared the glory with the biggest leader of its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), PM Narendra Modi.

However, people with lenses quickly pointed out the absence of one of the BJP’s tallest leaders in the state, Fadnavis, who showed magnanimity to make way for Shinde to become the CM.

Sena first released an advertisement showing CM Shinde with PM Modi (top) on Tuesday, On Wednesday, they released another ad with Dy CM Fadnavis

 

To rub salt on Fadnavis supporters, the original advertisement appeared to have projected CM Shinde as the most preferred CM (with 26 per cent of votes), while Fadnavis was pegged at 23.2 per cent.

Following the advertisement, Fadnavis cancelled his scheduled visit to Kolhapur district on June 13, citing “medical reasons”. Fadnavis was expected to attend a government program alongside Eknath Shinde, but his absence further fueled speculation about the strained relationship between the allies.

Perhaps sensing the mood in the coalition, the Sena published another advertisement in Marathi newspapers on Wednesday. The new advertisement featured photographs of both Shinde and Fadnavis, alongside PM Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah, Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray, Anant Dighe, and nine ministers from the Sena.

The new advertisement also sought to emphasise the support for the Shinde-Fadnavis-led government, stating that 49.3 per cent back their administration. Additionally, it highlighted that 62 per cent of respondents believed in the efficacy of a joint government.

While they expressed their dissatisfaction, the BJP said that there would be no impact on the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “Nobody’s importance is diminished because of anybody. Devendra Fadnavis is in the minds of the people of the state as a leader. The reason for this is that he was favoured twice in a row.”

“One thing is clear, the people of Maharashtra love the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Modiji. Hence, there will be no impact on the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance,” Bawankule added.

However, tensions between the two parties became evident when Devendra Fadnavis cancelled his scheduled visit to Kolhapur district on June 13, citing “medical reasons.” Fadnavis was expected to attend a government program alongside Eknath Shinde, but his absence further fueled speculation about the strained relationship between the allies.

Responding to the brewing controversy during his visit to Kolhapur, CM Shinde acknowledged the increased responsibilities bestowed upon him and Fadnavis as chosen leaders.

CM Shinde also expressed gratitude for the support they had received, highlighting the progress and development evident in the state.

Deepak Kesarkar, the spokesperson for Shinde’s camp and the Education Minister, sought to downplay the tensions between the Shiv Sena and BJP.

“There are no differences between the Sena and the BJP. If there is any mistake, the advertisement can be rectified. In case of any misunderstanding, we can always come together and resolve it through discussions,” Kesarkar added.

 

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