Now, damage-control: New ad features both Fadnavis and Shinde

The fire-fighting came a day after the Shinde Sena published a full-page advertisement across all newspapers in the state on Tuesday. The advertisement, which also featured Modi, with the slogan “Modi For India, Shinde For Maharashtra. The dream team is loved by all” quoted a survey stating that Shinde is the most preferred CM, with 26 per cent of people backing him, followed by Fadnavis, who was supported by 23.2 per cent.

It created ripples in political circles on Tuesday and indicated that all is not well with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.

The Shinde-led Sena, however, distanced itself from the advertisement saying the party did not give the advertisement and that some party well-wisher might have.

As reactions started pouring in after the advertisement on Tuesday, Fadnavis cancelled his visit to Kolhapur, where he was scheduled to attend the state government’s Shasan Aplya Dari event along with Shinde.

On Wednesday, Fadnavis skipped the 75th Amrut Mahotsav of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. Fadnavis was invited as the chief guest and was expected to share the dais with Shinde.

This is the second consecutive event skipped by Fadnavis which he was to attend along with Shinde after the advertisement fiasco.

Unlike Tuesday’s advertisement, the latest advertisement featured all the ministers from the Shinde-led Sena along with the photos of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Modi, the late Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Aanand Dighe, Sena leader and Shinde’s mentor.

The advertisement also has the symbols of both ruling parties — lotus and bow and arrow — and thanked the people of the state.

Even as the Shiv Sena-BJP tried to cover up the controversy over the advertisement declaring Shinde as more popular than Fadnavis by giving a new ad, the Opposition NCP questioned the absence of BJP ministers from the new ad.

“The new ad has photos of nine Shiv Sena ministers. But if the ad says it is Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government, then one wonders why BJP ministers are missing from the photo,” asked Leader of Opposition and NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

Pawar taunted the Sena’s explanation that Tuesday’s ad was given by a well-wisher of the party and was not published officially by it. “Considering the money required to give these many ads, the Sena should declare the name of that well-wisher. It should be probed as to how this well-wisher got hold of so much of money and from which source,” said Pawar. He said that if the claims of popularity made in the survey are true, then the government must conduct local body elections at the earliest.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also said that the new ad on Wednesday was the result of Fadnavis’ displeasure and that all was not well between the two parties. “It is clear what is in his mind but all is not well. The government will collapse like a house of cards. A proxy war is going on between Shinde and the BJP.”

State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “The damage control undertaken by the Shinde-led Sena by modifying the advertisement is a positive step and is welcome.”

“For the BJP the matter is over now. If their intentions were not clear, they would not have changed the earlier advertisement. It is a fact that someone has tried to play mischief. It should be found out who it is. When you try to show someone big and someone small and draw comparison, it is bound to hurt party leaders and workers of the BJP. But today after sensing the mistake, they have made corrections. There is no reason for us to question them or their intention,” Bawankule said.

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NCP state president Jayant Patil targeted Fadnavis saying the BJP leader cannot speak on this issue for the sake of compromises he has done to be in the government. “Fadnavis has done so many compromises for this government that it is now clear he won’t be able to say anything on this ad. The ruling side knows that it does not stand a chance in front of the MVA and it has become utmost important for them that this alliance remains intact. I don’t think he will say anything on this matter as a result of the compromises he has done,” said Patil.