On November 11, 2016, Chandrakant Patil, the revenue minister of Maharashtra performed the customary Pooja at the iconic Vitthal Mandir in Pandharpur. This was the informal way of announcing his elevation as the number two minister in the Maharashtra cabinet as the customary pooja during the month of Ashadh (in June) is performed by the chief minister while the one in the month of Kartik (November) is done by the second in command. Within just two years after his first swearing in ceremony as minister, Chandrakant Patil has emerged as the main trouble-shooter for Devendra Fadanvis.
Ratnakar Mahajan, Congress spokesperson said, “He is indeed projected as a trouble-shooter for the chief minister but that's because of his proximity with (BJP president) Amit Shah. In fact, he is a competitor in disguise for Devendra Fadanvis.” In March 2017, a national news channel even played out a news stating that Devendra Fadanvis was likely to be promoted as the defense minister of India, after Manohar Parrikar had to resign and return to become chief minister of Goa. The news said that Chandrakant Patil would be the next chief minister of Maharashtra if Fadanvis was asked to move to Delhi. The rise in the stature of Fadanvis has been phenomenal while Chandrakant Patil, too, is seen as a leader catching up with a similar rise.
Fadanvis became the second Brahmin chief minister and BJP's first chief minister in Maharashtra in October 2014. He had led the party, as its state president, in the run up to the assembly elections in 2014 and had been one of the most articulate opposition leaders since he first got elected to the state assembly in 1999. His first major challenge, after he became the chief minister, was in 2016 when the politically dominant Maratha community took to the streets in every district. The brutal rape and murder of a girl from Maratha community in Ahmednagar district and the pathetic situation of the farmers, majority of them Marathas, after the back to back drought of two years prompted millions of young boys and girls of Maratha community to take out huge protest marches across the state. The anger was against the state government for the failure of law and order and mishandling of agrarian issues. “Few politicians tried to exploit the anger against the chief minister on caste lines but the Maratha youth were well aware of the fact that the established leaders of their own community who ruled for decades were themselves responsible for the deterioration,” said Keshav Upadhye, Maharashtra BJP's spokesperson.
Upadhye pointed out, “In the very first year of Fadnavis' tenure as chief minister, the state was facing one of its worst ever drought. “Jal-Yukta Shivar” or Farm pond scheme launched by the chief minister did huge wonders in water conservation in that year.” According to him, it was a team work of different ministries such as water resources, irrigation, agriculture and revenue, and was efficiently led by the chief minister. “You won't see conflicts arising out of personal ambitions in this ministry. Chandrakant Patil is not a competitor but a colleague working hand in hand with the CM,” Upadhye said. But the state has seen very bitter rivalry between Devendra Fadanvis and Eknath Khadse, former revenue minister, who had to resign after charges of serious allegations of corruption were levelled against him. Ratnakar Mahajan said, “Everybody in the assembly knows about their rivalry. Khadse was extremely hurt after Fadanvis was named for the post of chief minister ignoring Khadse's seniority and contribution to the party for decades.” He pointed out to the statement Khadse had made after his resignation. Khadse had said, “A few ungrateful people from my own party conspired against me. There will be an earthquake of national scale if I open my mouth.”
Khadse's resignation gave the first elevation to Chandrakant Patil. He was given the coveted portfolio of revenue and also the number two position in the ministry. He was pushed to the front when Maratha protests began and Patil, a Maratha himself, handled the situation to soften the anti-Brahmin instigation against the chief minister.
“Chandrakant Patil is the Maratha face of RSS. His association with RSS has been for decades and his proximity with Amit Shah started when Shah had to stay at his in-laws place in Kolhapur after the court banished him from Gujarat,” said Mahajan. According to him, only the closeness with Amit Shah helped Patil rise in politics. He said, “Look at his statements, especially about agrarian issues. He is completely ignorant of the facts when he says that we need to collect information about debt and debtors.” Mahajan, who has headed the state's planning commission, said, “Every single information about accounts, treasury, crops, debt gets compiled once a week in Mumbai. They cannot fool us who have established systems of governance in the state.”
Fadanvis not only managed to get over the Maratha protests but also succeeded in winning municipal and zilla parishad elections held immediately after demonetisation. He is facing the second biggest challenge right now in the long due demand of farm loan waiver. Farmers in the state, for the first time since independence, have gone on strike. Once again the caste was discussed but this time by a few leaders in the BJP.
Dr Ajit Nawale, leader of Kisan Sabha, said “We have nothing to do with the caste of any leader, but we have everything to do with the sufferings of the farmers at the hands of ignorant divisive leaders. CM tried to create a division among us by negotiating with RSS stooges in the disguise of farmer leaders.” Fadanvis had announced that the farmers have called off their strike on June 2 after holding discussions with Jayaji Suryavanshi, a leader with RSS background. “CM neglected prominent and important leaders like Raju Shetty, Raghunath Patil, Bachhu Kadu who stand by the farmers in every issue. Obviously, the strike continued with more intensity,” said Nawale.
Fadanvis was left with no other option but to call Patil to head the group of ministers, formed to negotiate all the issues with the farmer leaders. He held long meetings with all the 35 leaders of farmers belonging to various organisations and announced “in principle” loan waiver to all the farmers irrespective of their land holding patterns. The specific criteria and conditions were to be decided later by the GoM. Girdhar Patil, a farmer leader from Nasik said, “I had opposed that 'in principle' announcement also. It was CM's ploy to delay everything until Amit Shah's then proposed tour to Mumbai got over. Shah visited Mumbai on the 15th and 16th (of May) and immediately on the next day, Patil announced loan waiver upto one lakh only.” He added that the conditions and criteria set for the loan waiver are such that hardly 4-5 per cent farmers will be benefited.
Although Fadanvis has managed to succeed in winning the municipal and ZP elections and has successfully dominated Shiv Sena during the last three years, he has a real tough period to face as the farmers have decided to re-launch their strike with more determination. “Farmers now do not believe his man Friday also. We will not stop until all our demands are fulfilled,” said Dr Nawale.
