"Politics has no relation to morals," the famous quote of Machiavelli seems to be so relevant in Maharashtra politics these days.
As uncertainty continues to loom over the state, with the largest party BJP still holding the cards and not revealing much about the government formation, three small parties with five MLAs have started talks with the seven independent MLAs, seeking to forge an alliance to create a "pressure group" on the new government.
On Monday, four independent MLAs met with leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) of India, and Bharipa Bahujan Mahajan (BBM) Sangh in Mumbai to discuss "tie-up" and also explore the possibility of sitting together in the assembly as a group. The independent MLAs met again in the evening to take a call on the "alliance". Their meeting was going on till the time of going to press.
Prakash Ambedkar, president of BBM Sangh, told dna, after the first round of discussion in the afternoon, "The political scene in the state is still unclear. BJP has not sought support from the independents or small parties as it would not help them much to get majority. Though NCP has already extended indirect support to BJP, no one can say how long the new government will last. In this scenario, it would be better if neutral parties come together as a strong group."
Ravi Rana, an independent MLA from Bandnera, who was present in the meet, said, "We will be able to deliberate on this after the meeting late evening."
While a broader consensus was there among them, say insiders, Jayant Patil, chief of PWP, was apprehensive. "Independents may finally support BJP, so I am unsure if this group will actually take shape," he said.
Observers term the early move of independents and small parties as "opportunistic" and an effort to get more bargaining power.
Earlier reports said BJP was seeking support from these independent MLAs and small parties, which together won 11 seats in the recently concluded assembly polls. However, to get the magic figure of 145, BJP will still be short of five members even if all 11 MLAs from minor parties and seven independents extend their support.
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