MUMBAI: Matoshree watchers said even in his wildest dreams, Uddhav Thackeray would hardly have thought of the Shiv Sena chief minister passing through the gilded gates of Mantralaya, the high seat of the government and a Byzantine world of files and fatwas, flanked by NCP-Congress ministers, to revive the Gandhi-Nehru legacy in the state.
They further added that Thackeray would scarcely believe that it is he who has brought about the classic U-turn in state politics: the Sena shifting from saffron to secular, and NCP-Congress bigwigs accepting Thackeray as their seniormost partner, the CM who controls things not just from Matoshree.
A former Sena minister said, “All credit to Uddhavji for breaking the jinx in Maharashtra politics by sealing an alliance with the NCP-Congress. Also, he deserves praise for cutting the BJP, which wields unbridled power in the country, to size. Uddhavji truly displayed the fighting spirit of Balasaheb Thackeray in his own quiet way.”
Close friends said Balasahebs son, now 59, is made of sterner stuff, but refuses to put his political muscles on display. “He may lack Balasahebs charisma, but he can correctly read the political situation,” said an associate. “Uddhav has proved wrong his detractors who had predicted a vertical split in the Sena after Balasahebs death in 2012. Well, the Sena is going strong,” he added.
Thackeray couldnt have chosen a better moment to snap ties with the BJP, others said. The saffron alliance was growing stale, and the Sena needed a makeover to keep pace with the changing times. Also, Uddhavs dream of installing a Shiv Sena CM in Mantralaya appeared to be in tatters as the BJP summarily rejected Matoshrees 50:50 formula for sharing power after the state assembly elections.
An embittered Thackeray worked out a two-pronged strategy. First, he steadfastly stuck to his 50:50 formula and shunned all talks with the BJP. Sources said he even got himself a new mobile to keep the BJP at bay. Second, he allowed his close confidant Sanjay Raut to begin backroom talks with NCP president Sharad Pawar.
Thackeray thought Pawar to be the best bet to contain the BJP. It is also likely that the late Balasahebs close ties with Pawar prompted Uddhav to seek assistance from the NCP chief, said political experts.
However, Uddhav Thackeray would now need to combine adaptability with political acumen to keep the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance going in Maharashtra for five years. He will have to think of an inclusive, secular agenda, and Saamna will have to learn to pen sober editorials, said analysts.
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