Articles by Sanjay Patil
How MVA lost the plot in the Maharashtra assembly polls
For the three parties in the MVA, the elections were as much about their relevance in state politics as they were about a moral and political victory.
Published on Dec 02, 2024 08:16 PM IST
Fault lines underpinning politics in Maharashtra
The 2024 Maharashtra election is seen as a battle for existence for all things old and new — parties, leaders and alliances
Updated on Nov 12, 2024 08:57 PM IST
How the MVA's campaign toppled the might of the Mahayuti
The MVA's focus on local issues and effective social engineering resonated with voters, particularly in rural areas facing agrarian distress
Published on Jun 09, 2024 10:00 AM IST
Mumbai Lok Sabha elections: A litmus test for the future of Shiv Sena factions
Mumbai's Lok Sabha elections are influenced by significant demographic shifts and changing voter loyalties. The results will set the tone for upcoming elections
Published on May 19, 2024 10:56 PM IST
Splits in Maharashtra's political parties leave voters confused over new symbols
A proliferation of symbols reflects the broader polarisation within the state’s political fabric. This trend poses fundamental questions about democracy
Published on May 12, 2024 10:30 AM IST
In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray has become the Opposition’s trump card
Uddhav Thackeray's transformation into a formidable Opposition leader could present a tough challenge for the BJP in the state.
Published on May 05, 2024 10:00 AM IST
Vidarbha and Marathwada: Battleground for electoral gains amid drought crisis
In 2023, 2,527 farmers died by suicide in Vidarbha and Marathwada, underlining the severe crisis in these regions marred by cycles of crop losses and debts.
Published on Apr 26, 2024 10:52 PM IST
How the BJP's path to power in Maharashtra became a tale of strategic missteps
While the BJP successfully engineered splits in parties, its internal challenges and disconnect with grassroots issues may have left it in a precarious position
Published on Apr 21, 2024 02:18 AM IST
Shiv Sena’s fractured kutumb navigate a crisis of loyalty
With elections looming, the question of which faction commands the loyalty of the sainik base hangs in the balance.
Published on Apr 14, 2024 12:45 AM IST
All aboard on Maharashtra’s political carousel where loyalties take a twirl
A churning sea of realignments over the past few years left voters and political workers bewildered, grappling with shifting loyalties and electoral dynamics
Published on Apr 09, 2024 11:15 PM IST
Why reviving the Malanggad issue helps Shinde in election year
The CM's mentor, Anand Dighe first raised claims over the 12th Century Sufi saint's shrine in the mid-80s. He was taking a leaf out of the Sena playbook
Updated on Jan 05, 2024 04:35 PM IST
Uddhav Thackeray: The last man standing
As a movement, the Shiv Sena has espoused the cause of the ‘Marathi manoos’ and the Hindus. But, as a party, it adopted the ideology of political pragmatism.
Published on Oct 24, 2023 06:46 PM IST
Visible threats and invisible threads: What Uddhav needs to do next
The SC’s scathing attack on the role of the former governor and its observations about procedural lapses in the formation of the current government is an important precedent in constitutional law. It also underlined the fact that Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to resign as chief minister before a floor test, was wrong, leaving no scope for a legal remedy.
Updated on May 12, 2023 12:45 AM IST
Sanjay Patil
Is it the end of the ‘Idea of Shiv Sena’?
The Election Commission’s decision of allotting the name and the symbol of Shiv Sena to Eknath Shinde’s faction and disassociating the idea of the Shiv Sena from the Thackeray family will have far reaching ramifications for what is left of the Uddhav-led party.
Updated on Feb 18, 2023 04:24 AM IST
Sanjay Patil
How Bal Thackeray created the legacy of Dasara Melawa for the Marathi manoos
While the outcome of the political battle between the two groups will be determined by the Election Commission’s decision on who gets the party symbol and finally in the upcoming elections to local bodies, events such as the Dasara Melawa have become grounds for the two groups to fight ownership over the Idea of Shiv Sena
Published on Oct 06, 2022 01:01 AM IST
Sanjay Patil
‘Too soon to say Thackerays will lose Sena’
Academic Dr Sanjay Patil writes in response to our Sunday’s story ‘How Shinde is planning to take over Shiv Sena’
Published on Sep 25, 2022 11:25 PM IST
Sanjay Patil
A political scion embarks on a make-or-break journey
Buffeted by allegations of elitism, coterie politics and devoid of institutional power, Aaditya Thackeray has begun his Nishtha yatra to connect with the party’s grassroots workers
Updated on Aug 04, 2022 12:35 AM IST
Sanjay Patil
Back to the street is only way ahead for Sena
The BJP’s strategy of making Shinde the CM makes it complicated for Uddhav Thackeray and his son, Aaditya Thackeray, to reclaim political ground
Published on Jul 01, 2022 12:18 AM IST
Dr Sanjay Patil
Shinde’s move shows widening gap among Sena cadres
Eknath Shinde’s stunt move is symptomatic of the larger problems that beset the party after the death of Balasaheb Thackeray: the widening gap between the new cadre and the old Sena
Published on Jun 21, 2022 10:26 PM IST
Sanjay Patil