New Delhi: The Maharashtra assembly election will be a crucial litmus test for the state-run Mahayudi and Maha Vikas Akathi alliance, following the election date announcement by the Election Commission of India. Along with the Jharkhand election results, the elections will be held in a single phase on November 20 and the results will be announced on November 23. The Assembly elections will test the leadership of both alliances.
The upcoming elections are expected to be interesting as All India coalition partners comprising Congress, Sarath Pawar's NCP and Uddhav Thackeray's Sena, Maha Vikas Akadi (MVA) plan to mirror their Lok Sabha election strategy in the elections. assembly polls. The MVA's previous campaign focused on “the constitution and threats to reservations,” appealing to Dalits. While generously supported by the Muslim community, the MVA revamps it and addresses unrest related to Maratha reservation demands. However, amid political changes and ongoing issues between Marathas and OBCs over reservation, the BJP aims to use its successful strategy of “anti-Jat polarization” of Haryana to consolidate the OBC vote in Maharashtra. It is estimated that OBCs constitute 52% of the population of Maharashtra. In the run-up to the elections, the Mahayudi government, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, has launched several welfare schemes, focusing especially on the Ladgi Bahin Yojna, which provides a monthly stipend of 1,500 to 18 to 2.5 million rupees for the underprivileged. women. 65.
BJP state spokesperson Shaina NC told The Sunday Guardian that being the largest party in the alliance, the BJP would naturally take on the role of “big brother” and contest maximum seats like in previous assembly elections. . However, he did not reveal which seats the BJP is targeting. In these elections, the BJP is leading the Mahayudi alliance headed by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He is showing serious efforts to maintain the government in the state. Fadnavis faces the difficult task of leading his party to victory, a test of his political mettle.
The assembly elections will also be a crucial test for incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who led the state with 40 MLAs. However, this election presents a new challenge as Shinde will face pressure not only from the MVA but also from the Mahayudi. He has to prove his worth within the alliance.
Similarly, Ajit Pawar faces the biggest political challenge of his career as he struggles to keep his NCP wing afloat, especially after its debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. Following the NCP's dismal performance, where it won only one seat, Pawar's faction was criticized by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar for delaying the Mahayudi function. The BJP did not win the Lok Sabha polls after winning 23 seats in 2019 against just nine.
In fact, the situation seems equally challenging for the MVA, which faces a fight for its political survival. With the Shiv Sena and NCP already divided into two factions, a poor performance in the assembly polls could raise serious questions about their future. Even if the Lok Sabha elections are won, the Assembly elections will present different challenges. The election is also a crucial test for NCP leader Sharad Pawar, who needs to not only win but also restore unity within his party and strengthen his position within the MVA. Similarly, Congress's Nana Patol and Uddhav Thackeray are under pressure not only to win the elections but also to ensure that their respective parties can assert their leadership within the MVA.
According to political experts, these upcoming elections will be a unique challenge for each political party and will give them a clear stance before the voters. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, these factions competed under their respective alliances, where the MVA outperformed the ruling Mahayudi alliance, winning 30 of the 48 seats, while the BJP-led Mahayudi managed only 17 seats. However, in the 2019 assembly elections, several parties, such as the undivided Shiv Sena and the NCP, contested together. Since then, the two parties have split into two factions: Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, Maha Vikas Akadi (MVA) and Eknath Shinde's BJP-aligned faction. Similarly, Sarath Pawar's NCP allied with the Congress to form the MVA, while Ajit Pawar's wing of the NCP allied with the BJP to form the Mahayudi Alliance.
