Following the engineered divisions, the BJP faces imminent challenges in Maharashtra.

BJP might be boasting of its smartness. It may also believe that the road to its success goes via the disruption of the pre-existing patterns of competition in the state. But recent developments in Maharashtra have thrown the state into a social and political mess.

The recent engineering splits in Maharashtra have created significant challenges for the BJP. While the party may boast of its strategic acumen and believe that disrupting the existing patterns of competition is key to its success, the current situation in Maharashtra has led to social and political upheaval.

With 48 Lok Sabha seats and a landscape marked by political turmoil, Maharashtra has become a focal point in this election cycle. In the past, the BJP and Shiv Sena enjoyed complete dominance, collectively securing 48% of the votes in 2014 and surpassing the halfway mark in 2019. This supremacy seemed poised to reshape the state's political dynamics. However, their electoral successes also unveiled their respective ambitions at the state level.

Since their initial taste of power in 1995, both parties harbored aspirations for dominance in the Maharashtra assembly, which remained unfulfilled after 1999. When opportunities arose in 2014 and 2019, both the BJP and Shiv Sena sought to capitalize on them at the other's expense.

For the BJP, regional parties often served as stepping stones, especially after Narendra Modi's ascension in 2014. The party's newfound assertiveness left little room for playing a subordinate role to its state ally. Conversely, the Shiv Sena, buoyed by its electoral performance, felt deserving of leading the state rather than being overshadowed by the BJP..