Changing Dynamics of State Politics in India Through an Analysis of Shiva Sena

Abstract

Shiv sena decision to form alliance with their one time bête noire Congress and NCP after the Maharashtra legislative assembly election in October 2019 took everyone by surprise. Though, party contested assembly election with Bhartiya Janata Party and the alliance got complete majority in the state. Shiv Sena fully aware of the fact that BJP with 105 seats in a house of 248 will have to be dependent on them for the formation of NDA government. So party decided to bargain and demanded that the post of chief minister to be shared with them on an equal basis. Though, many political commentators initially described it as a pressure tactics of the Sena to get plum post like revenue, public work department etc in the cabinet. It eventually turned out to be a firm determination of the party to get the post of Chief Minister and for that they severe their twenty five years old alliance with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Great Development front) with congress and NCP. So what does this shift of sena who over the years have championed the cause of Hindutva even more than BJP have managed to change their course of action and what does this signify for national politics of the country which is witnessing a resurgence of dominant one party rule. In my assignment I will analyse this shift of Shiv Sena to argue that much against the public perception Shiva Sens was never ingrained in ideological politics. It kept on shifting its politics since its inception.