Devendra Fadnavis has returned as the Maharashtra Chief Minister with a bigger mandate and a weaker opposition, which should be good for any government. But, the third-time head of the state is less lucky.
The BJP won 132 seats in this assembly election, ten more than the assembly elections 2019. On the other hand, the opposition coalition of MVA got only 50 seats.

Stronger Allies, Bigger Problems!

Fadnavis’ BJP has the support of five MLAs elected on its ticket five years back. In the house of 288 members, the saffron party is short of just 8 seats.

Also Read: Devendra Fadnavis Returns As Maharashtra CM: Rising Saffron Politics, Shiv Sena Going Back To Bala Saheb Days?
It should be happy, exuberant and full of hope and energy to implement its programmes and promises made to the masses.
But Devendra Fadnavis’ path is not easy, thanks to the economic, political and electoral challenges he is facing, many of them are of his own making.

Economic Burden Called ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’

The BJP-led ruling coalition of Mahayuti promised to increase the amount to be paid under the Ladki Bahin Yojana from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,100. Out of the total population of 9.7 crore, the women constitute 4.7 crore. The expenditure to be incurred under this scheme will increase from Rs. 45,000 crore to Rs. 63,000 crore, a hike of 40%.

Debt Burden, Limited Resources

This massive burden has come at a time when the state has to repay a burden of Rs. 2.75 lakh crore. Political observers believe, the Devendra Fadnavis government cannot discontinue this scheme because it proved to be the game-changer in assembly elections.
On the other hand, the state government will not have enough money to foot the bill of the massive scheme. Its present resources are not likely to generate enough revenue and the government may not hike the taxes lest it angers the masses and pushes them away.

Will Eknath Shinde Create Hurdles?

Devendra Fadnavis may have to face an uphill task of making all the coalition partners sync with his decisions and schemes.
By refusing to be the Deputy CM till the last moment and going to his village with an excuse of bad health, Eknath Shinde made it ample clear that he would not fall into the line all of the time.
With 57 members, Shiv Sena has emerged as the second biggest party and it would be neither politically correct nor practical to ignore it.

Also Read: Can BJP Cement Its Dominance In Maharashtra’s Political Landscape By Marginalising Shiv Sena?
Eknath Shinde may have to bargain hard and put the government under pressure most of the time to extract as many concessions as possible so that his own flock remains together.
He is most likely to come under the pressure of the rival faction of Shiv Sena UBT and will have to adopt an aggressive approach to keep itself relevant.
Consequently, Devendra Fadnavis may not face as much opposition from the opposition as from the partners of the coalition.

Can Mahayuti Snatch BMC From Shiv Sena UBT?

The third challenge staring at the Maharashtra CM is the electoral one. With a budget of Rs. 85,000 crore, the BMC or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is the richest corporation in the country and also the most important also. It has been under the control of Shiv Sean for last three decades.
The BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will try their best and rightly so, to win the municipal corporation election and snatch the milch cow from the Uddhav Thackeray faction.

BJP’s Political Equation At Stake

The municipal election will also test the political equation forged during the recently concluded assembly election. The saffron party has successfully reached out to the OBC and Dalits, who closed ranks and sank all of their differences and consolidated behind the BJP to crush the dominance of the Maratha community.
The Maratha reservation movement has lost its steam. Besides fearing a non-Maratha consolidation, the Shiv Sena UBT may not push too much for it before the municipal elections.

Will Detractors Play Spoilsport?

Devendra Fadnavis may also have to appease the central leadership of his party. He may have to assure them that he would not be a larger-than-life leader who becomes powerful enough to defy the leadership.
Fadnavis may have many detractors within the party, who may be happy to see him fail and be sidelined. On the other hand, he cannot show that he is too successful to be checked and kept under control.
The Maharashtra CM will have to take a tightrope walk, if he misses a little bit on either side, he may fall. He may have more people within the Mahayuti coalition than the opposition MVA who may wish to fail him.
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown and Devendra Fadnavis wears that crown now.