The state Congress has proclaimed that the Karnataka results will be repeated in Maharashtra, mostly because of its bullish electoral appeal that should give it a significant share of Lok and Vidhan Sabha seats, if the Maha Vikas Aghadi stayed as a pre-poll pact. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has been very vocal in insisting that the number of seats it had won last time were to remain with it. The Nationalist Congress Party has said it is a big brother to the Congress as far as seat-sharing is concerned. The hustle in the MVA camp may bring some cheer to the ruling parties, especially the BJP, which has a lot at stake in Maharashtra, in association with the Eknath Shinde-led Sena splinter group, which hasn’t proved its electoral mettle yet, barring a mixed performance in some small local body polls. Where does Shinde Sena stand then on the battlefield, a year after it unseated the then CM Uddhav Thackeray?

Trailing others

It seems the Shinde Sena is struggling to cement its space in the political arena where creating a favourable public perception is seen as a primary task for any party. The four major parties are already on the job, pushing themselves harder than before as they see the elections approaching. They have been reaching out to the voters through rallies and events. They are about to reorganise their leadership structures keeping in view the electoral requirements. They counter one another unabashedly as if there is no tomorrow. But in all this, the Shinde Sena is hardly noticed for its cohesiveness and consistency as a party that has been recognised by the Election Commission and allowed to stay on in power by the Supreme Court. The party may even win the next legal battles as well, paving the way for uninterrupted governance till the next Assembly elections.