Success doesn’t equal satisfaction

The biggest political battles in Maharashtra may no longer be between the ruling alliance and the Opposition As Opposition parties struggle to put up a strong challenge the real fight is increasingly happening within the ruling alliance itself over seats tickets positions and political ambitionsThe recent Legislative Council elections are the latest exampleMuch attention has been given to the setbacks suffered by the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA In Konkan and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Shiv Sena UBT candidates withdrew at the last momentIn Thane a candidate backed by NCPSP also stepped aside In Vidarbha developments left many Congress workers disappointed and confused These are certainly setbacks for the OppositionBut the bigger political story may be unfolding inside the ruling MahayutiThe Legislative Council elections are only one example In recent months leaders from alliance partners have openly expressed their frustration Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar recently remarked that it was no longer a question of the BJP merely ldquocutting the wingsrdquo of its allies but causing much greater political damage Whether one agrees with him or not such comments show that not everyone within the alliance is happyThis becomes even clearer in places such as Nashik Jalgaon and AhilyanagarIn several cases leaders denied official nominations because a seat was allotted to another alliance partner have decided to contest as independents In effect alliance partners are finding themselves in direct competition with each otherAt first glance these rebellions may look like signs of weakness In reality they are often signs of successPolitical history offers many examples During the Congress partyrsquos strongest years the real competition was often not against Congress but within Congress The biggest prize was not defeating the party but getting a Congress ticketToday the BJP occupies a similar position in Maharashtra politics Election after election it has expanded its influence More leaders want to join a winning political force More workers expect recognition More local leaders believe they deserve an opportunityThe problem is simple success creates more claimants than available positions There are only so many election tickets ministerial posts and important appointments to distribute But every victory creates new expectations Every leader feels he deserves a reward Every worker believes his loyalty should be recognised When those expectations are not met frustration followsMany political rebellions are not driven by ideology They are driven by a much simpler question ldquoWhy him and not merdquoThe challenge becomes even bigger when successful parties attract leaders from rival camps From an electoral point of view it makes sense New entrants bring influence networks and votesBut every time a newcomer is accommodated someone who has spent years building the organisation starts asking questionsThe induction and quick nomination of Prajakt Tanpure has become one such talking point among sections of BJP workers The question many are asking is simple when will loyalty be rewardedThis is not a problem unique to the BJP Every dominant political party faces it Workers who have spent years building an organisation naturally compare themselves with recent entrants And in politics perception often matters more than realityThat is why the current tensions deserve attention They are not just local disputes over nominations They are signs of the pressures that come with political successHistory offers a warning as wellDominant political parties often look unbeatable at the peak of their power But dissatisfaction does not disappear simply because it is not visible It quietly builds beneath the surfaceAnd when circumstances change when opportunities arise or when political equations shift those frustrations can suddenly come out in the openThis does not mean the BJPled alliance faces any immediate threat But dominance and satisfaction are not the same thingAs the Opposition becomes weaker pressures within the ruling alliance are bound to increase The main political contest increasingly shifts from government versus Opposition to one faction versus another one aspiring leader versus another and sometimes one alliance partner versus anotherThat is the real lesson from the current round of rebellionsWinning elections is difficult Managing the expectations created by repeated victories may be even more difficultToday very few political forces in Maharashtra appear capable of seriously challenging the BJPrsquos dominance But history teaches an important lesson Powerful parties often do not face their biggest challenges from their opponentsMore often the real challenge comes from within from the ambitions expectations and frustrations that success itself createsSanjeev Shivadekar is political editor midday He tweets SanjeevShivadekSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper