#dnaEdit: Sena, don’t cry

The Shiv Sena-BJP affair is the stuff of Bollywood potboilers. There is drama, emotion and action, with a couple of twists-in-the-tale thrown in for the audience’s delight — the story culminating in a nail-biting finish, leaving enough loose ends for a sequel. The only flaw, if at all it should be considered a flaw in the first place, is the lack of a happy ending. But since we are discussing politics, which makes for all kinds of bedfellows, the two partners can be reunited once the situation is ripe. As of now, the story in a nutshell: the domineering partner (Sena) leaves a stable relationship, hoping that the so-called weaker one (BJP) would come running after it. A quirk of fate tips the scales in the favour of the weak. Left insecure at the sudden turn of events, the Sena tries every possible trick to worm its way into the heart of the jilted lover. As luck would have it, the BJP has moved on — thanks in no small measure to its ‘clandestine’ relationship with the ‘other’ (NCP). Hell hath no fury like the Sena scorned. Having realised, much to its detriment, that the BJP was only playing games all this while, it will now try to wreck the latter’s boat. The Congress plays an important character in the narrative, whose role will become more pronounced as days go by. The script is still fluid! Isn’t that the charm of politics — a never-ending game of uncertainties? Lest we forget, the Speaker functions as the catalyst in heightening the drama. Towering above the stellar cast are the two architects of this saga, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, playing the Godfathers! 

On a serious note, if the Sena and the Congress stick to their threats, the Maharashtra assembly will witness chaos and pandemonium. The opposition’s allegations that Speaker Haribhau Bagde was far from being neutral in accepting a verdict over voice vote will be the central issue for now. It also leaves the BJP vulnerable to a barrage of criticisms, chief among them being the NCP’s support in furthering the BJP’s designs to establish majority in the House. 

Though the NCP is playing coy about its truck with the BJP during the vocal show of strength, it is amply clear how Devendra Fadnavis sailed through this crisis effortlessly. Where does it leave the BJP now? The party’s tall claims to expose the NCP’s scams appear to ring more hollow than ever. The BJP may have proved to be smarter than the Sena, but it has already raised doubts about its integrity in the fight against corruption. 

Fadnavis’s clean image amounts to nothing if he can’t crack the whip when it truly matters. He has Manmohan Singh’s many compulsions as a guidebook to things he must avoid to bring about an enduring change in governance. If the BJP’s track record in dealing with corruption at BMC is any indication, then Fadnavis has to clean up his own party, before he takes on others. 

The NCP’s agenda is clear: to steer out of harm’s way and protect its interests. In that, Sharad Pawar’s party has been successful till now. 

The new Chief Minister’s first six months — if he is allowed to function  — will offer a generous glimpse into the workings of the new government. Till then, the people of Maharashtra are keeping their fingers crossed.