GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Oct. In the wake of its recent victory in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to leverage its momentum to challenge the INDIA bloc in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. These elections are crucial for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as a strong showing could reaffirm its political dominance following a less-than-stellar performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
With a focus on reclaiming its narrative, the BJP is keen to showcase its strength against regional leaders who are pivotal to the opposition’s campaign. Maharashtra, which holds significant political importance with 48 Lok Sabha seats and a hub for major business houses, is particularly seen as a key battleground. BJP leaders believe that a win here would dispel doubts about their influence, suggesting that the Congress and its allies misled voters during the national elections.
The Congress, the largest opposition party in Maharashtra, faces formidable challengers in Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT). In Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, is the principal opposition.
While both the Congress and BJP secured five seats each in the Lok Sabha, the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dominated with 31 out of 48 seats. Despite this, NDA leaders argue that the vote share difference was minimal, less than one percent, indicating potential vulnerability for the opposition.
Home Minister Amit Shah has been actively engaging communities and regions to strengthen the NDA’s grassroots presence, a strategy that proved effective in Haryana. The Maharashtra government’s recent initiatives to establish welfare boards for various communities further illustrate this approach.
However, the ruling alliance in Maharashtra faces internal challenges, with parties sometimes prioritizing their own political interests over cohesive strategy. In contrast, the MVA has thus far exhibited unity in its opposition to the BJP, utilizing sympathy appeals from the Lok Sabha campaign, which accused the BJP of fostering divisions within the Shiv Sena and NCP.
The upcoming assembly polls are pivotal for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, as their political futures hinge on securing popular legitimacy. Complications surrounding seat-sharing and candidate selection loom large, given the potential for influential local leaders to shift allegiances.
In Jharkhand, the BJP’s challenge intensifies in tribal regions, where it previously faced setbacks. The party has appointed experienced campaigners like Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to invigorate its efforts against the JMM-Congress alliance, framing issues of corruption and threats to tribal identity.
The Election Commission has scheduled the Maharashtra assembly elections for November 20, while Jharkhand will conduct its polls in two phases on November 13 and 20. Vote counting for both states is set for November 23, making these elections a crucial test for both the BJP and the opposition.
