Nothing silvery about this jubilee

As the second alliance government of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, formed in Maharashtra after a brief period of bickering between the partners of 25 years, completes 75 days in power on Friday, it is clear that the Shiv Sena has sharpened its attack on the BJP.

The short journey since December 5 has already proven to be too long, and in large measure, quite irritable for senior partner BJP, thanks to the unending supply of Shiv Sena's poisoned darts mercilessly fired through its party mouthpiece - Saamana and Dopahar Ka Saamana - in Marathi and Hindi respectively.

Since the days of the founder-patriarch of the Shiv Sena, the late Bal Thackeray, all political parties dreaded his barbs - both verbal and through the edit columns of the two dailies.

The trend continues unabated, but seems to hurt its coalition partner BJP now more than ever before almost as if Saamana has donned the role of 'the main opposition' in Maharashtra.

In recent times, Shiv Sena, through Saamana, has been at the forefront of criticizing senior BJP leaders, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, certain cabinet ministers, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and select team members, as well as the BJP brand of politics.

The party did not shy away from commenting on Modi's controversial monogrammed suit which is now up for auction, the centre's economic policies, taking foreign VVIPs to Gujarat in a bid to overshadow Maharashtra or even the BJP's planned adventure in the ongoing Bihar political crisis.

Sena bitterly criticised plans to carve out a separate Vidarbha state - the BJP's declared agenda in pursuance of its small states policy – an alleged move to sever Mumbai and reducing its economic importance. The latest barb was on crime situation following the brutal attack on senior Communist leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur this week.

In recent weeks, however, some BJP leaders have also hit back at the Shiv Sena in their individual capacity, much to the latter's consternation and the glee of the left-over opposition parties. For instance, after the Sena's bitter criticism of Modi recently over the debacle in the Delhi elections, a couple of senior BJP leaders disgustedly asked its partner to "first quit government before criticizing" the Prime Minister.

The Shiv Sena's proposal to revive Mumbai's legendary night-life and its 24x7 entertainment, put forth by youth leader Aditya Thackeray, attracted BJP opposition with advice to include even vada-paav and paav-bhaji vendors in the proposition.

Ostensibly attempting to provide an alternative platform to Shiv Sena to air its views and grievances, the BJP has set up a 'Co-ordination Committee' between the two parties - something that existed during the previous Congress-Nationalist Congress Party regimes.

But the BJP's honourable intention has not escaped the stick even on this count as ally Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale vociferously demanded that all the other smaller parties in the 'Grand Alliance' must be included in the Co-ordination Committee.

"The BJP must not take its allies for granted in this manner... They must remember Delhi example... The masses have other options available now... The smaller allies should not be dismisses casually," RPI spokesperson Mayur Borkar commented on the frustrations experienced by the party.

Now, watch out for the next edition of the Saamana and Dopahar Ka Saamana.

By: Quaid Najmi