BJP and Shiv Sena: How the BFFs turned frenemies

NEW DELHI: Less than a decade ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena were the best friends forever (BFF). An inseparable duo. Today, they are bitter rivals, fighting for supremacy in Maharashtra. Though Sena has not pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, it has turned into a frenemy, never losing an opportunity to speak against the BJP and prime minister Narendra Modi.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll results will fuel this rivalry further. As the BJP has made big gains and Shiv Sena hasn't lost control over its vote bank, neither of the parties will be willing to play second fiddle at the richest municipal corporation.

Below is a summary of how BFFs for decades turned into frenemies in a few years:

1. The genesis: Raj Thackeray
The genesis of the rift lies in a December 2015 incident that had little to do with the BJP. Raj Thackeray resigned from Shiv Sena, peeved at his uncle and Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray giving more importance to his son Uddhav. Later, Raj founded Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). To promote his new party, Raj adopted a more radical model of his uncle's parochial politics of 'Mumbai for Marathis'. MNS hogged the news with its violent protests against north Indian migrants, Pakistani events and anything that did not fit into its politics. After Balasaheb's death in 2012, Raj emerged as a stronger carrier of his legacy than his son, a soft Uddhav. Uddhav had to harden his stance to beat Raj. The hardened Sena stance did not go well with the BJP's new inclusive strategy.

2. Ideological clash
The BJP and Sena's ideological differences became stark when the BJP realised if it had to come to power at the Centre, it could not compromise with Sena's parochial 'Mumbai for Marathis' agenda. Since Raj was emerging as a strong rival to Uddhav's Sena, Uddhav could not dilute his parochial agenda at BJP's behest even if he wanted to. The more Sena pushed its radical views, the more BJP resisted it. The RSS too did not approve of Sena's agenda.

3. The rise of Modi
Shiv Sena was wary of Modi even when there were only murmurs about his becoming BJP's prime ministerial candidate. In 2012, Balasaheb Thackeray had publicly endorsed Sushma Swaraj as the most suitable BJP candidate for the post. One reason was Shiv Sena's long animosity for Guajarati community that had a firm grip on the industry and trade in Mumbai. In its formative period, Shiv Sena had targeted Gujaratis as outsiders. Moreover, Uddhav's rival, Raj, supported Modi openly. Sena under Uddhav reluctantly approved of Modi as the PM candidate.

4. Sena as BJP's political liability
Modi as the PM candidate knew the BJP could win only if it performed well in Uttar Pradesh. But with ally Sena targeting migrants from Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai, it did not fit into Modi's gameplan. But BJP could not dissociate from Sena either due to its huge political base in Maharashtra. Even though BJP president Nitin Gadkari as well as the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had denounced Sena's parochial agenda, with the rise of Modi the rift widened.

5. Power tussle ends alliance
Ideological and strategic differences had caused tension to brew underground. But with a new tussle for power, the tension erupted. The BJP, buoyed by its sweep in Lok Sabha polls, was not willing to play second fiddle to Sena in Maharashtra where it believed it could now do on its own. Sena was rebuffed by PM Modi when he offered them just one berth in his Cabinet. Later, when the BJP wanted more seats in the Assembly polls in Maharashtra in October, Sena refused. That broke the 25-year BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. The BJP emerged the single-largest party by winning 122 seats while Sena was a distant second at 63. Yet the BJP was short of the simple majority. Sena supported the BJP government and joined the cabinet reluctantly but the relationship has been far from smooth ever since. Before the BMC election, Sena even threatened to withdraw support. Uddhav and the party mouthpiece, Saamana, often criticise PM Modi.

6. Frenemies ever
It seems Shiv Sena will have to yet again ally with the BJP in BMC. That will continue the love-hate relationship between the two. At this stage, they cannot do without each other.