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Book Review - Checkmate: How BJP won and lost Maharashtra


Checkmate: How BJP won and lost Maharashtra

Author: Sudhir Suryawanshi

Publication: Penguin Viking

 

Nov-2019 assembly election results was not a normal one for Maharashtra. The state has witnessed political twists and turns along with the surprising post-poll alliance. If anyone had said before the election that a Right-wing, radical party like Shiva Sena (SS) would go in alliance with Centrist-Left Indian National Congress everyone would have laughed. Because, SS & BJP shared almost same ideology and traditional they are partners for about three decades. 



But, things changed when election results were announced on Oct-24, 2019. Pre-poll surveys said that in the house of 288 seats BJP-SS combo would bag more than 200 seas and election is just a formality. BJP on its own is expected to cross 130 (Majority mark is 145). On the other hand the party which had ruled the state for long (INC) along with its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was expected to touch only around 50. 


The result came as shock to BJP, which on its own had got only 105 seats (though its the Single Largest Party (SLP)). Surprisingly INC-NCP alliance performed  way better than they were written-off, the alliance secured about 100 seats. Even though BJP was upset with their poll performance, they're confident of forming govt. with the help of its ally-SS. The political war begins there. BJP taken SS for granted and started speaking about their share in ministerial portfolio. But, SS was keen on having CM post for half-of its term (2.5 years), which BJP denies. So, the political unrest started in the state and it lasts for about 35 days with proclamation of President Rule, revolt in Pawar family with Jr. Pawar joining hands with BJP, Early morning swearing-in, resignation within hours etc., The chaos came to an end with SS chief Uddhav Thackray sworn-in as eighteenth Chief Minister of the State on Nov-28, 2019.


Political pandits across the nation were surprised by this. One question that was heard across political circles is: What make SS desert its natural ally (BJP) to join hands with INC, which is politically in its opposite pole? 


This book tries to answer that. In fact its not a single event that resulted in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt. - Coalition govt. of SS-INC-NCP - its actually a series of events that resulted in the new political dimension in the state. The author explains it in with a chronological events with brief and deep political history of the state starting from the day of Independence.


This book was criticized by RW as that it glorifies Sharad Pawar & was a tribute to him. But, I don't think so, because the author had exposed the double statnd of NCP/Sr. Pawar in more than one incident. Maharastra political episode is an important milestone in the Sub-continent' political history. Beyond rainbow coalition, this holds importance because post-2014, this is the only state where BJP' political tactics haven't worked in its favor and they aren't able to topple the govt. despite being SLP.


There's a chapter called 'Rescue operation in Gurgaon', which basically covers how the NCP legislators who was taken by BJP out-of the state returned back to the party fold. This makes me feel like reading a suspense thriller. Another chapter 'Sonia Gandhi Says No' gives sense that even today there's some value left in the politics for ideology. The conversation between Sonia G & Sr. Pawar shows how difficult its for a political leader to take a call on the matter and what stops them from doing something without a proper dialogue. 


This is a must read book to understand how MVA works and it'll be greatly helpful in understanding the contemporary politics in the state. This is the apt time to read and understand the state' political history, because BJP had stated implementing its political game in the state, it is evident from SRK' son arrest in drug case, former state HM arrest in ED case, attachment of properties belonging to Dy.CM Jr. Pawar in IT/ED cases etc.,  


I'm not getting into the debate of whether the alliance is right or wrong. But for sure, Maharastra' political episode on Oct/Nov-2019 has more lessons to the political leaders & observers across the sub-continent and this time-tested political tactics will be remembered for long.


~Dinesh

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