Hours after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he is in firm control of the “steering wheel” of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition government comprising the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, his deputy Ajit Pawar of the NCP sent him wishes for his 60th birthday on Twitter with a picture of the two leaders with Pawar on the driver’s seat.
At the stroke of midnight on Sunday, Pawar tweeted the picture of him at the wheel of a golf cart and CM Thackeray in the passenger’s seat.
Pawar, who was among the first to wish CM Thackeray, caused a flutter in Maharashtra’s political circles with the naughty picture. “Best wishes to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena party president and MVA leader, Uddhav Thackerayji. Wish you a healthy & long life!.” Pawar tweeted.
Thackeray, in an interview to the Rajya Sabha member and Saamana executive editor Sanjay Raut, published on Sunday had said, “The future of my government is not in the hands of the opposition … It is a strong government and I am at the steering wheel with two other partners. A three-wheeler (rickshaw) is a vehicle of poor people.”
Political observers say the silent power struggle could continue between the two top leaders in the government.
Observers said that this is a display of the silent tussle between the two leaders. Surendra Jondhale, a political analyst called it “political indecency” on Pawar’s part.
“There is some amount of restlessness to show who is more decisive and assertive, as the two leaders have different styles of functioning. It is unfortunate that (Ajit) Pawar chose to put out such a picture. There should be some kind of political decency. One should not take it lightly, as it is impolite and indecent,” he said.
Earlier in July, Thackeray made sure he got back five Sena corporators, who had defected to the NCP in the presence of Pawar, back into his party fold.
His deputy had presided over the entry of Sena corporators into the NCP, which did not go down well with Thackeray, as he made his displeasure known to Pawar.
“There must be some friction due to that [episode] too, but (Ajit) Pawar should not forget that Thackeray has direct access to Sharad Pawar. He (Ajit Pawar) has never hidden his vaulting political ambition, but this is not the opportune moment to bare such thoughts amid the pandemic,” Jondhale added.
