’Tis the season for ‘reunions’

For the last few days the political climate in Maharashtra has been rife with speculations about two potential reunions mdash one between Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew Ajit and the other between the alwaysatloggerheads Thackeray cousins Uddhav and RajPractically speaking reuniting both Pawars and Thackerays looks difficult But even if it were to happen the process would be exceedingly complex and timeconsuming owing to a lot of conditions and compromises required for the reunionsFor the octogenarian Maratha leader the reunion would not only be a political decision but also a personal one as it involves family dynamics and the legacy of his over fivedecadelong political journey nearly 30 of it with Congress As Pawar Sr advances in age the real question that could throw a spanner in the reunion works is who will carry forward his political legacy On the one hand is daughter Supriya Sule a fiveterm Member of Parliament one Rajya Sabha and four Lok Sabha known for her articulate political style and influence in national politics On the other is rebel nephew Ajit onetime MP and eighttime MLA who has been Maharashtrarsquos deputy chief minister for a record six termsSo the NCP patriarch giving party control to lsquotairsquo as Supriya is fondly referred to is an option that lsquoDadarsquosrsquo Ajit Pawarrsquos nickname among party members faction is unlikely to accept The only option which many in political circles feel could work is Pawar Sr suggesting that Supriya make way for Ajit to lead the undivided party This move may not be acceptable to Supriya and her supporters who see her as the natural heirAfter the Lok Sabha results Pawar Sr reaffirmed his status as a senior statesman in national and especially Maharashtra politics But within six months the dynamics changed during the state Assembly polls and Ajitrsquos leadership witnessed a 180degree turn Ajit not only emerged as a Central power broker but party workers and leaders from his uncleled NCP faction started shifting loyalties or asking Pawar Sr to think about a reunion So besides family dynamics a crucial question is whether Pawar Sr who has been vehemently opposing the BJP regime will set aside his ideological beliefs and tag along with nephew Ajit who is now in government with the saffron partyOn Tuesday May 13 Ajit at a meeting with party officebearers made it clear that he has not received any reunion proposal from his uncle indicating that reunion talks were not on at least for nowThackeray reunionUnlike the Pawars the case of the estranged Thackeray cousins is different as it is not about family but more about a power game Also the idea of syncing these two contrasting forces under one banner is practically impossible owing to their personalities mdash Rajrsquos fiery aggression versus Uddhavrsquos measured inclusive approachRaj who is known for his firebrand speeches in 2005 parted ways with the undivided Shiv Sena and in 2006 formed his own party the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNSThe strained relationship of the Thackeray cousins over the years has been marked by public criticism political rivalry and personal distance But as the row over the governmentrsquos decision to make Hindi mandatory escalated and both MNS and UBT camps claiming to be champions of the Marathi manoos there were hopeful murmurs of a reunion over issues of Maharashtrian pride and the Marathi causeSince its inception the MNS has struggled to maintain a consistent performance The party made a strong debut winning 13 seats in the 2009 Maharashtra Assembly polls and securing over five per cent vote share But due to flipflops in Rajrsquos political stance support from the Marathi manoos and the vote bank sharply declined The situation was such that in 2014 MNS bagged just one Assembly seat In 2019 and 2024 the party could not even open its account this despite Rajrsquos fiery oratory and speeches on Hindutva witnessing huge public turnout In fact in 2024 the MNS vote share slipped below two per cent a situation proclaiming that the party was losing steam and its lsquoRailway Enginersquo election symbol as per Election Commission of India ECI normsUddhavrsquos Shiv Sena UBT has seen significant division of its traditional vote base especially since the 2022 split engineered by Eknath Shinde Ahead of the crucial civic elections half 42 of UBTrsquos former corporators have already shifted to the Shinde camp It is said that the Sena derives its maximum power for the party with its control over the BMC But today for UBT forget winning the prestigious BMC even having a sizable representation in the civic body is an uphill task In such a scenario the only option for the Thackeray cousins is a strategic reunionPrima facie the thought of the Thackeray cousins coming together may strike emotional and political chords But when the Shiv Sena supremo the late Balasaheb Thackeray could not prevent the split between his son Uddhav and nephew Raj it is unlikely that the two Thackeray scions will patch up despite their survival and political clout being at stakeThe reunion if it indeed happens may come as a breather but it is so late that now even the consolidation of Marathi votes may not guarantee their winIf these reunions remain nothing more than political drama and rumours one thing is sure the Opposition in the state will be unable to apply the brakes on the growing popularity of the BJP in the state and at the CentreSanjeev Shivadekar is political editor midday He tweets SanjeevScribeSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paperatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params