Maharashtra Big Picture: Who wins bigger battle Fadnavis or Sharad Pawar?

New Delhi, Nov 5  Maharashtra politics has only got murkier after Sonia Gandhi-Sharad Pawar and Amit Shah-Devendra Fadnavis meetings.
Things are far from clear on the formation of new government, but a question that is seeking answer is - in the ultimate who wins the bigger battle - Devendra Fadnavis or Sharad Pawar.

For long Maharashtra has been a virtual 'fiefdom' of Marathas and the NCP founder and often his capacity has been 'overestimated' too; but since 2014, the incumbent Chief Minister Mr Fadnavis has sought to change the scenario.

Many would even call Fadnavis 'a new generation Pawar' - a description Mr Fadnavis does not endorse nevertheless.

Politically, he earned huge kudos when Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a 'victory meet' gathering in Delhi on October 24 that to remain in office for five years - a record in last five decades - has been by itself a great achievement for Mr Fadnavis.

From caste point of view, Mr Fadnavis is state's only second Brahmin CM and politically he has made things difficult for others.

Against him in the political chessboard is veteran 'Maratha' Sharad Pawar (79) - who braved lashing rains and addressed election meetings and personally led the NCP's battle from the front.

Those in the know of things say - a 'weakened Congress' and Sena's enhanced 'bargaining power' with BJP has actually given a "sharper edge" to Sharad Pawar.

The present scenario suits Pawar politics.

Sharad Pawar loyalists also say Mr Fadnavis has erred in making personal attack against him as the Maratha strongman still has come cards close to his chest.

NCP's tally in the new House is 54 - numerically two less than Sena's and less than 50 per cent of BJP.

But it is ten more than the Congress and hence the talk of the town is 'Pawarsahib' is on his comeback trail.

Several of his lieutenants deserted him during polls and had changed flank. They included Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Udayanraje Bhosale, Ganesh Naik, Harshvardhan Patil, Shivendrasinh Bhosale and Vaibhav Pichad.

"Pawar was written off a bit too early....," Congress leader Ashok Chavan said although it is true that before elections some Congress leaders had also mocked at Pawar saying NCP will have to merge with Congress.

Mr Pawar, who floated NCP on the issue of foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi, has enough political flexibility to have worked with UPA for ten long years as a Minister.

In 1999 itself, within six months of formation of NCP, he did not mind his party sharing power with Congress.

Mr Pawar has been in touch with Sena leadership right from the day the results came in on October 24 but when asked whether NCP and Congress would back Sena to keep BJP at bay - his response was typical of his signature style -"no body has sought our support, first let that request come".
At 49, Mr Fadnavis certainly represents the new generation in state BJP having gone beyond 'Pramod Mahajan-Gopinath Munde-Nitin Gadkari' era.
As plus points, he enjoys clean image with more of a free and frank personality unlike many others and enjoys the backing of RSS, Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah.

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But what left many in BJP and outside his own party stunned is that Mr Fadnavis has managed to survive not only due to these 'assets'. His foremost credit has been to manage the contradictions of Maharashtra politics.

True, in the run up to the polls during campaign, Mr Fadnavis has been more than candid.

"The era of Sharad Pawar ji's politics is over," he said once. Maharashtra watchers say he tried to chew more than he could bite.

Chief Minister was unhesitant. "The kind of politics Mr Pawar would play of making and breaking is over now. Such politics won't work, generations have changed. People do not accept such politics now".

Answer to these complex issues remain in the womb of time.
Many of those familiar with what goes on in Mantralaya - the seat of power - in Mumbai say - Mr Fadnavis in fact developed his own model of governance something based on 'Modi model'.

He created a team of advisors and bureaucrats and concentrated power in the Chief Minister's Office(CMO).
Politically, he sidelined probable rivals Vinod Tawde, Prakash Mehta and Eknath Khadse.
After polls, he even snubbed Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray when he said there was no understanding between the two parties for rotational Chief Ministership.
However, it will be too early to suggest that he has won.

Mr Fadnavis met Amit Shah here on Monday and said a BJP government will be formed soon, but many claim to have noticed that he did not look very happy.