Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are attempting to strengthen the grand alliance. However, there is no unity between the Shinde group and the Ajit Pawar group. Due to internal discord, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed dissatisfaction with the Ajit Pawar group.
Lack of coordination within the ruling Grand Alliance
It was evident that there was a lack of coordination within the ruling Grand Alliance during the aggressive protests against the government's stance on Maratha reservation. On one hand, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was trying to persuade Manoj Jarange Patil to end his hunger strike. On the other hand, the entire state of Maharashtra seemed to be in chaos, with protesters taking to the streets, engaging in arson, vandalism, and stone-pelting. Political leaders were being targeted. Simultaneously, some NCP MLAs protested directly in front of the ministry, expressing their discontent with the government. Additionally, NCP Majalgaon MLA Prakash Solanke directly criticized Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. This internal conflict within the Grand Alliance became apparent. In light of these events, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his dissatisfaction during a meeting of the Grand Alliance held yesterday, highlighting the confusion within the alliance once again.
After Manoj Jarange Patil commenced his fast at Antarwali, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself attended and broke the fast. At that time, a 40-day period was requested, but no progress was made within that timeframe. Jarange Patil became aggressive again and resumed his indefinite hunger strike after the expiration of the given period, as previously announced. This had a significant impact on the state. Initially, all party leaders were banned in the state. Support for Jarange Patil's hunger strike was demonstrated through various means such as Rasta Roko, Rail Roko, Chakkajam, Food Dying Movement, Uposhan, etc. The agitation was particularly intense across the state and in Marathwada. In Sambhajinagar, Beed, there were incidents of arson specifically targeting political leaders, leading the agitation to take a violent turn. Despite the situation, Jarange Patil remained steadfast in his position.
The mounting pressure led to some political leaders resigning, including two MPs from the Shinde group and several other MLAs. Meanwhile, some MLAs from the Ajit Pawar group protested directly in front of the ministry, raising concerns about reservation policies. Ajit Pawar's MLA, Prakash Solanke, directly blamed Home Minister Fadnavis for the violent agitation. Concurrently, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his dissatisfaction with the role of Ajit Pawar group MLAs during the Grand Alliance meeting held on Friday after the success of Jarange Patil's agitation. Shinde emphasized that the Grand Alliance should stand united and support the government during times of crisis, indicating that confusion still prevails within the Grand Alliance.
