Maharashtra to feel Bihar verdict's aftershocks

There is no clinching evidence to prove whether the people in Pakistan burst crackers to celebrate Narendra ModiAmit Shahrsquos humiliation in the Bihar Assembly polls but one could surely feel a sense of celebration in the Shiv Sena camp here as the Diwali festivities gained momentum on Sunday afternoonDespite not winning a single seat amongst the 150 it had contested independently in Bihar the Sena found reason to rejoice It took immense pride in NitishLalursquos historic triumph as if party chief Uddhav Thackeray also had a hand in the Mahagathbandhanrsquos victory tipped to change the direction of political discourse across the countryClear parallels can be drawn between Bihar and Maharashtra especially in terms of BJPrsquos estranged relations with JDUrsquos Nitish Kumar and Thackeray here The BJP was Nitishrsquos ally before pulling out of his government It was also an ally to the Sena till the two parted ways last year only to reunite in a postpoll alliance to form the Maharashtra government The Sena is unhappy with the way it is being treated by the BJP and is looking for avenues to get even with its onetime junior ally in the state For the Sena the Bihar development is a ray of hope That ModiShah failed to finish Nitishrsquos reign and Lalursquos clout there is being perceived as an opportunity for the revival of other regional parties that have been marginalised by the BJP Now the Sena will try to put a break to BJPrsquos march in Maharashtra a state second only to Uttar Pradesh when it comes to legislative or Parliamentary strengthThis confidence ndash likely to put the BJP on its toes ndash comes through in Sena MP Sanjay Rautrsquos comment ldquoWersquore confident that the Sena will win a majority if the Assembly midterm polls are held at this stage in Maharashtrardquo he said while reacting to the Bihar results This remarkable rise in the Senarsquos confidence level was no doubt boosted by its magnificent performance in the KDMC election last weekThe Senarsquos presence may have been symbolic in the Bihar Assembly polls but in the KDMC polls it engaged the BJP in a bitter battle eventually emerging as the single largest party Just when the two parties were expected to go their separate ways the BJP made the surprising move of agreeing to Senarsquos formula for sharing power The pact came a day before the Bihar verdict was out giving credence to the view that the BJP must have foreseen the possibility of faltering in Bihar The BJP chose not to upset the Sena further by entering into an unholy marriage with other outfits in the KDMC This move is seen as a bandaid solution until the BJP gathers steam to attempt yet another salvo at the Sena ndash perhaps in the upcoming Mumbai and Thane civic pollsIt looks like CM Devendra Fadnavis may not be able to appease the ally for long but he needs to firewall the impact of the Bihar verdict which is bound to leave its impression across the country Maharashtra finds itself in a situation similar to Bihar with four major stakeholders in the political fray The BJP a national party and the Sena its regional challenger are fighting it out against each other to head the next government The remaining two ndash the Congress and the NCP have issues to sort out before they can prove themselves ndash together or divided ndash as an alternative in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2019PostBihar Fadnavis has his work cut out He will be judged not just on his performance in the CMrsquos office where he has just completed a year but also on his political might He passed his first litmus test in the KDMC polls where he singlehandedly helped to raise the BJPrsquos strength However he could not have his mayor there because of the Sena With the civic polls of Mumbai Thane and Pune in 2017 gruelling times lie ahead not just for the BJP but also for all its allies and rivalsMeanwhile the CM also needs to focus on his role as CM and deliver on the promises he made He will need to overcome obstacles such as erring bureaucrats by his own admission policy paralysis if any and ensure peaceful coexistence of diversity in this part of the country The Bihar election has sent a loud and clear message the Modi juggernaut has lost momentumThe writer is Political Editor of midday