Mumbai, March 25 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Wednesday said the recent elections for the posts of president and vice president of Satara Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections have pulled back the curtain on the internal friction within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti transforming what was meant to be a display of political solidarity into a scene of physical violence and chaos.

"What was supposed to be a standard democratic process devolved into a 'comedy drama' reminiscent of the old Marathi film 'Ashi Hi Sataryachi Tanha' (This is the Way of Satara), but with a much darker tone. Witnesses reported a significant physical altercation between ministers who publicly present themselves as 'brothers' in the same government,' said the Shiv Sena(UBT) in 'Saamana'.

The Thackeray camp, in a scathing editorial in the party's mouthpiece, said Shiv Sena Minister Shambhuraj Desai was reportedly roughed up by police personnel acting under the orders of a rival faction within his own alliance. Desai arrived at the legislature visibly injured, claiming that the police had dragged him and that "democracy has been murdered".

“Despite the Shinde and Ajit Pawar factions holding a clear majority, BJP Ministers Shivendraraje and Jaykumar Gore reportedly executed a localised "Operation Lotus”, it claimed.

The editorial said the key tactics allegedly used to secure the ZP presidency included engineering defections, voter suppression and police intimidation. "Two members of the Shinde faction were reportedly induced to cross-vote. Two members were allegedly prevented from voting entirely. Plainclothes police were reportedly used to create an atmosphere of tension and forcibly remove opposing officials,” it alleged.

According to the editorial, Minister Shambhuraj Desai, the grandson of the "Lion of Satara" Balasaheb Desai, was dragged away by plainclothes police. Injured and bleeding, he cried out, "Democracy has been murdered!" While Deputy Chief Minister Shinde echoed these cries, Chief Minister Fadnavis and his police department paid no attention.

"While MLAs of the ruling Shiv Sena and NCP protested on the steps of the Legislature, BJP MLAs and ministers reportedly ignored them entirely. Ministers like Gulabrao Patil, who usually growl when in power, were seen "meowing" in protest on the steps. Even a cat or a tomcat strikes back in defence, but these leaders preferred merely sitting on the steps wagging their tails," remarked the editorial.

“These individuals previously left Shiv Sena with the BJP's help, an act that was also a 'murder of democracy', yet they felt nothing then. They claimed to join the BJP for 'self-respect and Hindutva', but the Satara incident makes it clear they have been turned into subordinates. Those who used the police as a tool of 'mobocracy' to split the Shiv Sena and grab power now have no right to complain when those same police are used against them,” said the Thackeray camp.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said the incident has sparked a broader debate about the political culture in Satara and Maharashtra. "Historically, Satara was a leader in the freedom struggle, known for its discipline and culture. However, corrupt politics has replaced that rugged simplicity with hooliganism as the region is now being characterised by 'mob rule' and 'corrupt power-seeking'. As the saying goes, 'As is the King, so are the subjects'; today, ministers fight in the streets and use the police for bullying", it added.

The "centre of this mobocracy" is now the legislature itself, where those who allegedly subvert democracy now sit in power, said the editorial.

--IANS

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