{ONE}
THE MAHARASHTRA ASSEMBLY ELECTION in October 2019 was dramatic. The Bharatiya Janata Party had returned to power at the centre in a massive victory, a few months earlier, and was hoping to see similar success in the various state assembly elections. The Shiv Sena, a regionalist Maratha party, was its oldest ally in Maharashtra, but the two parties were at loggerheads over a number of issues, including the distribution of seats, the chief-ministerial candidate and the power-sharing agreement in the state. Eventually, the Shiv Sena reached out to the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, among other parties, to form a new coalition called the Maha Vikas Aghadi. The BJP saw the move as a betrayal and accused the Shiv Sena of abandoning its traditional ally for the sake of power. Nevertheless, the MVA was able to finally form a government in the teeth of political chaos.
COMMENT