The Maha Vikas Aghadi, the anti-BJP alliance in Maharashtra, has been dealt a major blow with the split in the Shiv Sena and now the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), just before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.

The ramifications of these developments are significant for the Opposition, affecting their efforts to unify and present a potent challenge to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections slated for next year. Leaders from various opposition parties have expressed their dismay and extended their support to NCP leader Sharad Pawar, who has been at the center of the recent political developments.

Stunned by the split in the NCP, the opposition hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, reached out to Sharad Pawar to offer their support during this turbulent time.

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Congress general secretary K C Venugopal accused the BJP of resorting to “washing machine politics,” and said, “The BJP’s dirty tricks department is working on overdrive in Maharashtra. This is not a legitimately elected government, but an ED-facilitated power grab. The Maharashtra government is a product of corruption and sin. The people have very well identified the traitors, corrupt and compromised leaders of Maharashtra and each of them will be taught the lessons of their lifetime in the next elections.”

Derek O’Brien, a leader from the Trinamool Congress, agreed with the ‘traitor’ reference and told The Indian Express, “We will fight these traitors and the BJP in 2024. We will work stronger to defeat the BJP.”

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress communication head, pointed out, “Clearly the BJP’s Washing Machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit. The Congress will intensify its efforts to free Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP.”

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“It is a setback. But at the same time, what example of good governance is the ruling party trying to set by making Ajit Pawar the Deputy Chief Minister against whom it had instituted a probe. It had also called the NCP ‘Naturally Corrupt Party’ throughout the elections. So conduct raids first, send Income Tax, ED, CBI later and then induct them into your alliance. So instead of elections, you want to attain a majority through manoeuvring,” he added.

Despite the setbacks, many opposition leaders have expressed confidence in Sharad Pawar’s leadership and his ability to rebuild the NCP. T K S Elangovan from the DMK and Manoj Kumar Jha from the RJD both concurred that Sharad Pawar is a seasoned leader with a loyal support base who can overcome these challenges.

“I don’t think Ajit Pawar can be a match to Sharad Pawar. He might have gained some positions… That is all. Beyond that, he cannot go to Sharad Pawar’s supporters and muster their support. They may not go,” he said.

“This is just a family feud. He wanted to become the president but Supriya Sule was made the working president. So out of anger, he has gone to the BJP which has made use of this small issue in their favour. But Pawar is one of the most senior leaders of Indian politics and his supporters will stand by him,” Elangovan added.

Asked about Opposition unity efforts, he said, “They (BJP) are trying to break this unity. They are afraid of this unity. That is the problem. They wanted to do something against the Opposition unity. The BJP is afraid of it. So they are trying small things like this… breaking parties… It will not affect Opposition unity. In fact, the cadre will get angry with Ajit Pawar.”

About Praful Patel, who attended the Opposition meeting with Pawar, RJD’s Jha said, “I am reminded of the couplet ‘Har aadmi mein hote hain das bees aadmi, jis ko bhi dekhna ho kai baar dekhna’. It is very difficult to predict… these kinds of situations.”

Asked about the impact, he claimed, “If Tejashwiji and Laluji are there… even if I am not there… will it make any difference? Pawar Saab can rebuild anything… he can rebuild the NCP from scratch.”
“It is clear that this decision is not of some individuals or parties. A script is being written and the Prime Minister and his core team are involved. The PM had indicated from Bhopal, a couple of days ago that not a single corrupt person will be spared and what happened today… this is their style of functioning…. first, level allegations of corruption, corner the leader…. pressurise… the outcome you saw in Maharashtra,” Jha said.

Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief of Samajwadi party said, “Madhya Pradesh was the first laboratory for the BJP… Maharashtra has become an even bigger laboratory for the BJP. You will see what all experiments the BJP will do as we approach the Lok Sabha elections because it does not want to lose power. It wants to cling on to power even if the poor, farmers, deprived, exploited, backward, Bahujan don’t find a place anywhere but they want a place in power.”

Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), condemned the BJP’s actions in Maharashtra and drew attention to the ongoing issues in Manipur, “Manipur is burning. And you see the BJP indulging in its own game of engineering defections and using the weapon of the ED,” he said. Asked about Opposition unity, he said, “That will be there. This is their pastime. They have done it in Goa, in Madhya Pradesh, in Karnataka, in the North East.”

Yechury maintained that he had no “inkling directly” that the NCP would split. “But the fact that Pawar made some changes… Supriya Sule and Praful Patel were made working presidents and all… so, obviously something was going on,” he added.

Yechury stated further, “This is clearly part of the BJP’s game of engineering defections. Even after losing elections, they form the government. That has become the BJP style of politics,” he said, maintaining that the developments will not impact Opposition unity efforts. “There will be no impact. That will continue. He (Pawar) will still be there.”