Maharashtra's evolving political scene: From the Congress era to BJP surge

Maharashtra's journey is a dynamic tale of shifting alliances, the Hindutva surge with the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition, and transformative governance under the Congress-NCP era

Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state by per capita GDP, is a dynamic blend of industrial hubs, Bollywood glamour, and robust sugar cooperatives. Once a Congress stronghold, the state now presents a complex political landscape, where shifting alliances shape governance.

 

The birth of Maharashtra

 

The story of Maharashtra begins with the expansive Bombay Province, stretching from Sindh (now in Pakistan) to northwestern Karnataka, including Gujarat and much of present-day Maharashtra. Regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada, though Marathi-speaking, initially lay outside its borders, The Indian Express reported.

 

The demand for a unified Marathi-speaking state gained traction in the 1920s and intensified post-Independence. The 1953 Nagpur Pact aimed to integrate Bombay State, Vidarbha, and Marathwada. However, Bombay city became a contentious issue between Gujarati and Marathi communities.

 

 

In 1956, the States Reorganisation Commission recommended keeping Bombay State bilingual, but this decision met widespread discontent. Finally, on May 1, 1960, Bombay State was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat, giving Maharashtra 264 Assembly seats and a distinct political identity.

 

Congress: The era of dominance

 

In its early years, Congress dominated Maharashtra’s political scene. In the 1951-52 Assembly election, it won 269 of 317 seats. Under Yashwantrao Chavan’s leadership, Congress maintained its grip, securing 234 seats in 1957 and 215 in 1962. Chavan’s successor, Vasantrao Naik, served as Chief Minister for nearly 12 years, providing rare political stability.

 

Despite Congress's setbacks in other states during the 1967 elections, Maharashtra remained a stronghold. Indira Gandhi’s Congress (R) swept 222 of 270 seats in 1972, but the Emergency years brought political and social unrest, with Shankarrao Chavan at the helm.

 

Political instability and Sharad Pawar’s rise

 

The late 1970s ushered in change. Internal fractures in Congress paved the way for leaders like Sharad Pawar, who became Maharashtra’s youngest Chief Minister in 1978 through an alliance with the Janata Party. However, Indira Gandhi’s return to power in 1980 saw Congress reclaim the state, with AR Antulay becoming Maharashtra’s first Muslim Chief Minister.

 

The following decade saw frequent leadership changes, with eight Congress chief ministers amid corruption scandals, labour unrest, and rising crime in Bombay (now Mumbai).

 

The rise of Hindutva

 

Amid this volatility, Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, founded in 1966, gained prominence. Initially a Marathi nationalist party, it found a natural ally in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after 1980. The 1990s, marked by the Babri Masjid demolition and ensuing communal tensions, cemented Hindutva politics in Maharashtra.

 

The Sena-BJP alliance came to power in 1995, with Manohar Joshi as Chief Minister. However, by 1999, the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) coalition took the reins, heralding a new era.

 

Congress-NCP era

 

The Congress-NCP alliance governed Maharashtra for 15 years, led by figures like Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, and Prithviraj Chavan. While this period brought relative stability, it was also marred by corruption allegations and governance challenges.

 

Maharashtra in Narendra Modi’s India

 

The BJP’s rise under Narendra Modi reshaped Maharashtra’s political landscape. In the 2014 Assembly elections, buoyed by Modi’s popularity, the BJP won 122 seats, with Devendra Fadnavis becoming one of Maharashtra’s youngest Chief Ministers.

 

By 2019, the BJP-Sena alliance began to fracture. The Sena formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition with Congress and the NCP, elevating Uddhav Thackeray to Chief Minister. This coalition collapsed when Eknath Shinde led a Sena faction to ally with the BJP, becoming Chief Minister, with Fadnavis as his deputy.

 

Maharashtra today

 

Maharashtra’s political scene remains vibrant and unpredictable. Alliances shift frequently, with major players like the BJP, Sena factions, and the NCP constantly recalibrating strategies. Once a Congress bastion, the state now stands as a testament to India’s evolving democracy, where legacy, ideology, and power struggles intertwine.