A bus, bickering Punjab Congress leaders, and Rahul Gandhi’s unity test

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra has initiated efforts to strengthen its alliance with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis convened a coordination committee meeting attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar. This development follows the recent success of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's Chhatron Ki Goonj programme in Pune, which garnered a strong response from students.

The BJP's move to maintain unity within the alliance comes amid growing tensions and increasing opposition challenges. The coordination committee, headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, has decided to consult alliance partners on administrative and governance matters while ensuring commitments made to them are fulfilled.

The three parties have agreed that their leaders and ministers will no longer criticize each other publicly. They have also promised to complete appointments to 171 state-run corporations within a month and to jointly contest all local body elections. The BJP aims to retain the largest share of the corporations, with Shiv Sena and the NCP allocated 30% and 20%, respectively.

The NCP has sought a larger role in government decision-making, particularly in the finance portfolio, which was formerly held by Ajit Pawar. The BJP acknowledges that while political stability is crucial, a cohesive coalition is equally important to navigate challenges from the opposition.