The BJP did go over the top when the party’s first CM in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, took oath of office on Friday along with nine Cabinet colleagues at the head of a minority government. An incredible 40,000 guests were mobilised at the Wankhede Stadium, an excess by any yardstick. This can hardly be deemed a good sign in a state in which drought has taken a toll of late. But the saffron party, choosing the feudal mode of celebration, gave the event the feel of a rajyabhishek, or coronation, rather than a democratic transition.
When India became independent in 1947, the transfer of power was formally commemorated in what is now the Central Hall of Parliament. The last maidan swearing-in was Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party at Delhi’s Ramlila Grounds last December to which came thousands of their own bidding, travelling by Metro or in public buses paying their own fare, and there were no glitterati. It was the plebeians who came, not the patricians. But the BJP is a different kind of party.
The BJP got its first CM. So, some celebration was on. But we should not lose perspective. The party won just enough seats to form a minority government. Now it must work hard on two fronts — to keep the NCP and the Shiv Sena balls in play simultaneously, and to make sure that inner-party struggle doesn’t take undesirable forms that may complicate the CM’s task, considering that there were several wannabe CMs before the RSS-BJP’s high command picked the man from Nagpur. On the plus side is that the CM is said to know how to play hardball and softball, although he has no administrative experience.
If it is early to say that the Shiv Sena has been brought around, the state’s ruling party will breathe a sigh of relief that Uddhav Thackeray and Sena MLAs did attend the swearing-in after threatening a boycott. This was reportedly brought about after BJP president Amit Shah’s face-saving phone call to the miffed Mr Thackeray who was cut up with the BJP. This offers a wonderful opportunity to wrench a modicum of stability even for a minority government, and shows that BJP leaders are ready to bend just a bit to gain immediate political objectives. This is the mature way.
The BJP can’t rely on unconditional NCP support as there will be pressure to move against the latter on corruption charges. Hence, the Sena will have to be brought fully on board. The terms will be worthy of watch.
