Shiv Sena tops the list of parties with an aggressive approach in the country. The party has such a grip in Maharashtra. Presently it is in power in alliance with the Congress party but never lost an opportunity to explore all possible ways. The party newspaper Samna is used to target the parties. The party received CM’s post after many years. According to analysts, the Shiv Sena has planned a big sketch against the BJP. It is said that the Shiv Sena may succeed or not but it is for sure that the BJP would fail. The party has brought regionalism to the fore.
Uddhav Thackeray has announced that they would fight a legal battle for a region which has Marathi speaking people in Karnataka’s Belgavi (old name Belgaum) for inclusion in Maharashtra or making it as a Union territory. Countering this Karnataka Deputy CM Lakshman Savadi, CM Yediyurappa responded sharply and said that not even an inch of land would be given. They demanded Mumbai be made Union territory. Though the controversy was since decades, it has once again come to the fore.
It has become difficult for the BJP. If the Maharashtra BJP leaders demand the same, the party would have to face embarrassment. They all know that the Supreme Court would solve the issue, but the party has to face issues in two states.
In another way, Shiv Sena is likely to target the entire BJP and it may try to take up the agitation. If this happens BJP has to issue a statement, else the party might face problems in Maharashtra. Congress may not indulge in the controversy because it is third in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Congress has lost ground in the Belgaum region. BJP candidate Suresh Angadi has been winning here since 2004. Suresh won in 2019 with a majority of 4 lakh. The BJP has bagged the post of Union Minister after winning for four consecutive terms. However, with his death due to the Coronavirus, the elections here were inevitable. There is nothing to lose for the Congress here. The JD (S), which is second only to Karnataka in the region, will fight for Karnataka. The Shiv Sena, the NCP for Maharashtra. The situation for the BJP is like ‘caught between the devil and deep-sea’.
Formerly part of the Bombay Presidency, the Marathi-speaking areas of Belgaum, Karwan and Nippani were merged in Mysore. In 1956, States were formed based on languages. Earlier they were merged with Mysore. The Maharashtra Unification Committee, formed in 1948 with its headquarters in Belgaum, has been fighting for this. In 1956 the movement became violent in the area. At least 12 people were killed in the clashes. The group celebrates the Martyrs’ Remembrance Day on January 17 every year. The Central Government then set up the Mahajan Commission on the issue. In 1967, the committee reported that the Belgaum region should remain in Karnataka.
Maharashtra approached the Supreme Court. The dispute between the two states has continued ever since. Although there have been political statements on this issue in the past, this time CM Uddhav Thackeray’s comment and CM and Deputy CM from Karnataka have become the talk of the town. NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that Maharashtra should use all its legal strength to win the case.
Uddhav Thackeray’s comments blew the controversy out of proportion. The controversy started a few years ago when the Maharashtra CMO recently tweeted that it was committed to reuniting the Marathi areas occupied by Karnataka into Maharashtra. It remains to be seen where the struggle of the political parties on the issue under the purview of the Supreme Court will lead.
