Political Realignment in Maharashtra: Speculation Rises Over Shiv Sena-UBT and BJP Reunification

Speculation about a potential political shift in Maharashtra has intensified following a recent meeting between Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a Mumbai hotel. This development has stirred debate, with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Prashant Jagtap suggesting a BJP-Shiv Sena reunification would not come as a shock to the state's residents. According to Jagtap, such political maneuvers have become common since 2019.

NCP (SCP) Pune city president Prashant Jagtap criticized both BJP and UBT, remarking, 'Anything can happen in Maharashtra. Since 2019, we've seen several unexpected alliances form.' However, he expressed his hope that Shiv Sena (UBT) remains aligned with the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA), cautioning that departing from the alliance would betray voter expectations. Jagtap insisted that the voters supported MVA for its progressive ideology, and reconnecting with BJP would undermine the voter mandate.

These comments emerged after Aaditya Thackeray's meeting with CM Fadnavis, which followed a prior meeting between Uddhav Thackeray and Fadnavis. Currently, Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of the opposition MVA alliance, but the Mahayuti coalition, including BJP and NCP (Ajit Pawar), governs Maharashtra. Discussions around potential political realignment have been fueled by past precedence, like the 2022 Shiv Sena split when Eknath Shinde allied with BJP, as well as previous BJP-Shiv Sena alliances post-2014.

(With inputs from agencies.)