Mumbai: The revolt of Eknath Shinde, a Shiv Sena loyalist and the party’s second-in-command, who is also the Minister for Urban Development and several other important departments in the state government, has triggered a major political upheaval in the state. The reason for Eknath Shinde’s revolt is the result of the Legislative Council elections announced 12 hours ago. In the election in which four BJP candidates were going to win, five candidates won. In the Rajya Sabha elections a few days ago, Shiv Sena and Mahavikas Aghadi had suffered a similar blow.
There is talk of having 22 MLAs along with Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs in the assembly, out of which 22 will be with Shinde, while Shiv Sena will have only 33 MLAs left. Although the exact cause of Shinde’s displeasure is yet to be ascertained, the ongoing debate is likely to lead to four issues in the state’s politics from the current insurgency. Let us know what can happen.
Possibility number-1
Eknath Shinde is rumored to be unhappy with the formation of a government with the NCP and the Congress. Since the disgruntled MLAs with him have the same opinion, they can make it a condition for the Shiv Sena to leave the NCP and the Congress. At the same time, by forming a government with BJP, they can make Devendra Fadnavis the Chief Minister and make him the Deputy Chief Minister. If this demand from Shiv Sena is accepted, a coalition government can come to the state once again.
Possibility number-2
Shinde’s displeasure has not abated and if he decides to quit Shiv Sena, he will resign along with disgruntled MLAs. In such a scenario, the Mahavikas Aghadi government in the state will be in the minority and the Thackeray government will fall. In the ensuing Assembly elections, pro-Shinde MLAs will contest with or without the support of the BJP.
Possibility number-3
Another option before Eknath Shinde is to form an independent group in the Assembly by uniting Shiv Sena and some independent MLAs. This will eliminate the need for other MLAs, including Shinde, to resign. Otherwise, there will be no need to face by-elections or elections. In this situation, Shinde can support the BJP and bring down important accounts in the new government.
Possibility number-4
What exactly is Shinde’s displeasure and if it is removed from Shiv Sena, then this crisis which has come to the forefront of Mahavikas in the state can be removed. There is talk that Shinde is not given enough importance in Shiv Sena and state government. Shinde’s revolt could calm down if he gets assurances from the Thackeray family that he will be treated with due respect.
