Shiv Sena picks Pratibha Patil over Shekhawat, angers BJP

Marathi pride wins over Hindutva as Shive Sena supports UPA candidate Pratibha Patil over NDA's choice Shekhawat.

BY OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
June 27, 2007

Shiv Sena's official support to the UPA's Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil has angered the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Sena's politicial ally and partner in Maharashtra. There were initial grumblings from the BJP while the Shiv Sena dithered over its decision, and the frustration has boiled over into public statements in the aftermath of Sena's announcement.

The Shive Sena, to be fair, was caught in a situation where it had no other option. The Sena has built its core constituency over Marathi asmita (pride), and has relied heavily on symbolism in the past. Therefore, refusing support to Pratibha Patil was almost impossible for the Sena. The ruling Congress- NCP combine would have gladly pounced on the Sena for refusing support to Pratibha Patil.

The BJP, on the other hand, is a national political player, and despite its growing support base in Maharashtra, can afford to object to the candidature of Pratibha Patil on political and ideological grounds. The party does not rely on Marathi pride, but on its Hindutva roots, and is not tied down by regionalism as the Sena is.

The Shiv Sena stand, in fact, marks the rallying of the entire Maharashtrian political class behind Pratibha Patil. Sena supremo Bal Thackeray announced that Maharashtra is fortunate that a Marathi woman is set to occupy the highest office in the country; that it would be a matter of pride and happiness that a Marathi president would greet Maharashtra on the occasion of the state’s 50th anniversary in 2010; and it was a moment of pride to everyone who is a Marathi Manoos.

Bal Thackeray also said, “A Marathi president means honouring the martyrdom of 105 Marathis who laid down their lives for the creation of Maharashtra as a separate state of Marathi people.” Heavy on symbolism, little substance - but that is the Sena's constituency in Maharashtra. The Marathi intellectual class which could question the logic of that statement is of no political significance in Maharashtra.

BJP leader Gopinath Munde said that the Sena, which supported Pratibha Patil because she was a Maharashtrian, had been regularly sending non-Maharashtrians to the Rajya Sabha. He alleged that the Sena has cut a deal with Congress to ensure the Sena's bete noire Narayan rane would not become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in return for the Sena's support for Patil.

Meanwhile, the Sena has reacted by declaring that no one need give them lessons on Hindutva, and downplaying the rift between the alliance partners. The politicial composition of Maharashtra demands that the Sena and BJP should stick together for any success; and whether the parties like it or not, that compulsion would probably see them through this spat.