Rift between Maharashtra Governor Koshyari, CM Uddhav Thackeray brews even as COVID-19 cases spike

Amidst a spike in COVID-19 cases and lockdown in Maharashtra, tension seems to be brewing up between Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Meanwhile, the state's BJP has kept its guns trained at Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

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At a personal level, Koshyari, who hails from Uttarakhand, and the Thackerays, do have good relations.

To understand what is simmering, one has to look at the events of the last two days between Raj Bhavan and the MVA, which comprises Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Congress.

On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis led a delegation of the BJP to Governor and complained about how the MVA government has bungled up in tackling the crisis involving the novel coronavirus pandemic and there is a total failure in handling the situation.

Fadnavis and state BJP President Chandrakant Patil had also launched 'Maharashtra-bachao' campaign to embarrass Uddhav, their old saffron ally.

What seems to have aggravated the situation on Wednesday morning was a tweet from veteran BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who said: "The Corona Crisis: President’s Rule, the only way out in Maharashtra..... My view: “Time is now or never: Uddhav break the alliance now otherwise NCP and Congress will destroy you by staged events”."

Around noon, there was an announcement that the Governor and Chief Minister together would review the situation. A couple of hours later, there was a confirmation that Thackeray and his close confidante Sanjay Raut would attend Friday's video-conference meeting convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Thereafter, Thackeray did not land in Raj Bhavan but Milind Narvekar, his secretary and Man Friday was seen.

"CM saab spoke to Governor saab and informed that he is unable to attend the meet. We don't know anything more than this," a Raj Bhavan official told DH, when contacted on Wednesday night.

The MVA has not liked the interference from the Governor's office into the day-to-day running of the government.

It may be recalled that Pawar, the chief architect of MVA government, too had in the past have told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue.

"The 'Maharashtra-bachao' protest is an insult of the people of the state and doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, policemen, and others, who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19," said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The Shiv Sena and the Governor have been at the loggerheads when Fadnavis and Pawar were sworn in as CM and his Deputy. The latter, however, resigned.

On November 28, 2019, Thackeray was sworn in to lead the state. When in March, the lockdown started, all elections were postponed and Thackeray's continuance after six months became a question.

Koshyari had refused to nominate Thackeray to the two vacant seats form the Governor's quota. Thackeray himself dialled PM Modi and sought his intervention. Thereafter, Shiv Sena requested for Legislative Council biennial polls, which was allowed and Thackeray was elected, ending the Constitutional crisis.