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ShareThe emergence of a "competitive opposition" in the Maharashtra state assembly could be seen as one of the biggest gains of the 2009 electoral outcome that is noteworthy on many counts and augers well for the state.
Political stability for five years (notwithstanding the Nationalist Congress Party's ploy to threaten "support from outside") and the denial of an opportunity to independents and upstarts to indulge in horse-trading are the most obvious benefits of the voters' clear preference for the Congress-NCP over the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
This election has also shaken the Shiv Sena to its core with the party's founder Bal Thackeray lamenting that his sweat and toil of the last four decades have been wasted.
Thackeray's declaration of his loss of faith in God and the Marathi manoos is not just dramatic but also ironic. It signifies acknowledgement of defeat and that too in the form of a non-violent, democratic blow from the ballot box to a party which has used violence and intimidation as a vehicle for growth.
The Maharashtrian voter -- be he from whichever community or religion -- needs to be proud of these worthy gains which have resulted more so by default than by design due to the key role played by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in its debut assembly election. The biggest gain perhaps is yet to flower in the form of a "competitive opposition" on the floor of the state assembly.
Flush with his victory in 13 seats and his party's telling impact on the electoral results of the saffron alliance, one of the most important statements by MNS founder Raj Thackeray was his promise to "demonstrate what a real opposition is meant to be".
His cousin and Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav chose to remain silent for two days, chastised by the party's poor performance of securing 44 seats -- two less than its alliance partner, the BJP. After accepting the "people's verdict" and blaming the MNS for betraying the Marathi cause, Uddhav too promised to give Maharashtra an "ideal opposition".
On the Congress front, Ashok Chavan who was re-appointed as the state chief minister, warned and advised Raj to show his skills in the state assembly and not on the streets, for this would not be taken lightly by his government.
These postures indicate the shape of things to come in Maharashtra and there's reason to rejoice. The badly bruised Sena and a confident MNS have no choice but to work hard and emerge as a credible opposition in the state. Both the parties will need to be alert, take up issues that will win the support of the masses at large and try to successfully corner the Congress-NCP government.
The previous gimmicks of demanding Marathi name-plates and attacking "outsider" taxi drivers and bhelpuriwallas are unlikely to bring a sense of achievement to either the Sena or the MNS. To be able to win the respect of Maharashtrians, both parties will need to think big -- more so for the MNS whose charismatic leader has roused high expectations from his supporters.
The last five years tell a story of lost opportunities for the Sena-BJP which failed to pin down the government on the issues of farmer suicides, acute power deficit, corruption and a gamut of issues relating to the 26/11 terror attacks.
In the last two years, the state BJP was rudderless due to turmoil in its national executive and the Sena was busy countering the MNS which in turn was preoccupied on the streets of Mumbai, Pune and Nashik -- its primary centres of strength.
The MNS now wants to fan out to rural areas and make a difference in the state assembly while the Shiv Sena does not want its base to be eroded further. The flashy protests of breaking shop windows and destroying railway properties which are characteristic of these parties are likely to continue as they provide instant media mileage.
However, the state assembly is expected to be the primary theatre of action for these parties where the Sena and the MNS will try to raise issues forcefully. Ever since the saffron alliance lost power in Maharashtra in 2000, the state has been thirsting for a real, effective opposition. It is the absence of this challenge that has given the Congress-NCP a virtual cake walk in the last two elections in spite of its poor performance.
What is new on Maharashtra's political horizon now is the emergence of the Raj Thackeray factor and the fierce competition between him and the Sena to win hearts and votes in effective numbers. It is this struggle that could force the Congress-NCP into performing this time around and give the Marathi manoos what he wants most -- good and meaningful governance in Maharashtra.
