Prime Minister Narendra Modi is about to swear in for the third term. At the same time, rumours are going around in Delhi’s political circles that Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena, is trying to deceive Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA alliance. Speculations arose when Thackeray called for an important meeting in Delhi, inviting leaders from both the India alliance and the NDA alliance. Instead of attending the meeting himself, Thackeray sent two of his younger leaders.
Reasons for Thackeray’s Potential Move:
Political experts in Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena say that Uddhav Thackeray might want to join the NDA for a number of reasons. One reason is that Shiv Sena and the INDIA union have very different ideas, which has become a big problem. Additionally, Shiv Sena’s performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections was disappointing, with their seats reducing from 18 to 9. Thackeray may be seeking a change due to these factors.
Analysis of the Political Situation:
Thackeray held a press conference after the election results were revealed to talk about how excited he was about the formation of an INDIA coalition government. His dreams were dashed, though, when it became clear that the JDU and TDP would back the NDA. If both parties joined, Shiv Sena would drop to eighth place in the India alliance, which would hurt Thackeray’s standing there. This meant that Thackeray and his party would lose power and importance.
Impact of the Upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections:
The upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections are another important reason for Thackeray’s possible move. The present Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, admitted defeat and quit as Deputy CM, stressing the need to concentrate on the future elections. Some people think Thackeray is worried about how many seats his party will win in the assembly polls. If Shiv Sena’s strike rate is low, Thackeray’s bargaining power within the Mahavikas Aghadi (the UPA alliance in Maharashtra) would be weakened.
The Shiv Sena did poorly in the Lok Sabha polls, with a strike rate of less than 50%. The Congress party, on the other hand, got 13 of the 17 seats it ran for. This has made the Congress party feel better and hurt Thackeray’s standing in the partnership. Shiv Sena is also at a disadvantage because of how the seats are distributed in the Mahavikas Aghadi. The Congress party is in a better situation.
There are several reasons why Uddhav Thackeray might decide to leave the Indian Alliance and join the NDA again. There are many reasons for this, including difference in ideologies, poor results in the Lok Sabha elections, and the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Thackeray’s desire to maintain a significant number of seats in the assembly elections and his concern about his party’s influence within the alliance are key considerations. As per Maharashtra MLA Ravi Rana ‘Uddhav Thackeray will join NDA within 20 days’ As the political situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Thackeray will indeed make this move.