Mahayuti to meet within days to review Council poll defeat as BJP, NCP and Sena trade blame

The results of the Legislative Council elections from the graduates' and teachers' constituencies are out. The Mahayuti won only two seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi took three. The result is being seen as a major setback for the Mahayuti. It is said the alliance suffered the heavy defeat because of infighting, disputes and leg-pulling within the coalition.

After the defeat, the BJP and the NCP have openly alleged that the loss was caused by the Shinde Sena. The Shinde Sena has hit back, accusing the BJP of betrayal. The election has brought the quarrels among the three parties into the open. The Mahayuti has now decided to hold a review of the defeat in the next day or two.

The defeat and the tension that followed suggest that all is not well in the Mahayuti. Against this backdrop, a meeting is to be held of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, the three principal leaders of the Mahayuti. The meeting is to take place in a day or two. It is said that it will discuss an analysis of the defeat, internal disputes and damage control going forward.

The meeting will talk in particular about the defeats in Pune and Sambhajinagar, and the focus is said to be mainly on these two cities. The Shinde camp is reportedly going to try to push the Amravati issue. There are also indications that the BJP may demand the removal of Ravindra Dhangekar. Attention is therefore on whether action against Dhangekar comes before or after the meeting. According to sources, if action is taken against Dhangekar, the NCP may ask what then happens to Abdul Sattar. The whole state is therefore watching the meeting.

After the results, allegations and counter-allegations flew. BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban demanded action against Ravindra Dhangekar. He said Dhangekar had "cut the throat with a hair" and that Shinde should act against the "Shukracharyas in the jhari". Dhangekar, on the other side, said the public is angry with the state leadership and that the leadership should change.

Shinde Sena's Anand Paranjpe asked whether the BJP should contest all the seats, and why it was so insistent on this. He also asked how the BJP's leaders campaigned against the Shinde Sena in Amravati and Sambhajinagar. Shinde's MLA Abdul Sattar said, "I openly campaigned for the Sharad Pawar faction, so why did no one say anything to me then?"