For a long time, the BJP was a second fiddle to Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in the state of Maharashtra. But the political flux has given a new turn to the game of thrones on the land of Marathas.
Maharashtra’s politics has been dominated by Maratha strongmen since independence. From Shankar Rao Chavan to Sharad Pawar, and simultaneously Balasaheb Thackeray — the state's political fabric has been coloured by men deemed to be Maratha strongmen.
The BJP-led NDA had Shiv Sena as its partner till 2020. As this alliance broke after the 2019 state assembly polls, the BJP felt the need for its own strongman in the state.
As Shiv Sena split up, the Eknath Shinde faction joined BJP-led NDA in June 2020, and the saffron party returned to power in Maharashtra. But its search for a Maratha strongman leader continued.
With Raj Thackeray in BJP-led NDA, the saffron party has a Maratha strongman under its tent. As the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats go to the polls in coming weeks, Raj Thackeray’s presence in the NDA is expected to boost the ruling alliance’s electoral fortunes.