Mahayuti jostles over Satara district bank chairman post, decision due on November 18

The Mahayuti has won 9, 8 and 4 seats in the Satara District Central Cooperative Bank election, easing its path to power in the bank. But who will hold the political strength created by this win has become the real question. The allies that fought the election together are now weighing their own political ambitions as the chairman's post comes up. The chairman's election on November 18 will therefore not be merely a vote for a post in a cooperative bank. It will be a litmus test of Mahayuti's leadership in Satara district.

The BJP won nine seats and is the largest party. Even so, it is not politically easy for the BJP to take the decision on power while ignoring the NCP's eight seats and the Shiv Sena's four. District bank politics does not run on party loyalty alone. The web of cooperative institutions, taluka-wise leadership, influence over financial institutions and local political ties all play a big part. The figure of nine seats strengthens the BJP's claim, but does not prove unchallenged dominance.

For BJP MLA Jaykumar Gore, the district bank win is not only an electoral success. It is also a chance to make the BJP's leadership in district politics more visible. The BJP's influence showing in the chairman's election could therefore matter for his political role. However, the displeasure expressed after the election over the support of allies suggests that differences within the alliance have not fully ended.

For Guardian Minister Shambhuraj Desai, on the other hand, the return to the district bank is a matter of political prestige. The Desai family has regained a place in the bank after a long time. The Shiv Sena's four seats should therefore not be seen merely as a number. Given the influence of the guardian minister's post and the party's organisational strength in district politics, Desai is expected to get a fitting place in the decision-making process. His insistence may be less about the chairman's post than about his voice remaining decisive in decisions on power.

MLA Shivendraraje Bhosale's role in this equation also cannot be ignored. His experience in the cooperative sector, political contacts in the district and standing in the BJP could make him an important link in coordination. The choice of name for chairman will not be decided by party arithmetic alone. Acceptability in bank politics and trust among the directors will also have to be kept in mind.

The final authority to choose the chairman has been given to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. This brings the ambitions of local leaders within the ambit of a decision by senior leadership. But the question before Fadnavis is not only whom to make chairman. While strengthening the BJP's leadership in the district, he must also avoid upsetting the NCP and the Shiv Sena. The decision could have an effect on the politics of the Zilla Parishad and upcoming local self-government bodies. If one constituent gets more weight in the bank, another may seek an account of it in later political talks. Mahayuti must therefore ensure that today's chairman does not become the root of tomorrow's political conflict.

On the whole, the Mahayuti has shown strength together in the Satara district bank election. The question now is who will lead that strength. The BJP has the support of numbers, the NCP has nearly as much political weight, and the Shiv Sena has the influence of the guardian minister's post. It remains to be seen whether the November 18 decision becomes a victory for one leader's political ambition or makes the three parties aware of their mutual dependence.

Four points are considered important in the chairman's election. First, whether the BJP takes the chairman's post on the strength of its nine seats or chooses collective power with its allies will set the direction of the party's leadership in the district. Second, political circles are watching what stand Jaykumar Gore takes to strengthen the BJP's leadership further in the district. Third, how far the guardian minister's post and the return to the bank show up as Desai's weight in the talks on the chairman's post. Fourth, the sharing of power in the bank is likely to affect the Zilla Parishad, municipal councils and upcoming local political equations.