Mumbai: The state of Maharashtra has never ever faced a political situation such as this when all the principal political parties have been pitted against each other, when friends have turned foe in a flash and surprises lurk at every turn.
The former ruling coalition of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the grand Hindutva alliance of Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party are a divided lot, now turning against each other with bitterness and barbs after days of failing to reach a truce over sharing of seats. With little time left before the state goes to polls on October 15 and results announced on October 19, a blitzkrieg of rallies are being held in every corner of the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already descended on this state to boost the BJP’s prospects of bringing the party to power with a majority (which requires 145) in the 288-member assembly. In 2009, when the two alliances were in place, the Congress won 82 seats, NCP 62, BJP 46, Shiv Sena 44, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray 13 and the remaining 41 by smaller parties.
The question that arises is whether any of these parties can win a majority to form a government on their own. Talks of post-poll tie-ups are already in the air but this does not sound sweet to the rank and file of party workers who are getting confused at a time when they are willing to stake it all for a single party win. The race to reach out to the voters is at fever pitch and Modi himself is leading a packed schedule of covering 17 rallies across the state and has already covered several public meetings in a couple of days. He is expected to visit the financial capital once again to appeal to the Marathis to vote out the “corrupt” Congress and NCP. The large Gujarati population and the business community is certain to back the BJP.
On the other hand, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been campaigning with a strong message that it was the BJP that backstabbed the Sena by engineering a split in the 25-year-old alliance. Emphasising that there was no Modi wave in the state any more, Uddhav is banking on the Marathi-speaking people of the state and a sympathy mood. His estranged cousin, Raj, too, is criticising the BJP — that it has no face in Maharashtra and is therefore forced to bring Modi to campaign. Raj thinks that Uddhav should have realised that the BJP could not be trusted. Whether the two cousins will team up in a post-poll understanding is being widely speculated.
In another warfare between the former Democratic Front partners, NCP’s former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has levelled charges of corruption against ex-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan of the Congress. The latter has dared Pawar to prove the graft charges. The anti-incumbency factor is not something these old pals can wish away and the effect of Modi’s diatribe against NCP president Sharad Pawar cannot be discounted. After the Congress drubbing in Lok Sabha polls, Chavan faces enormous pressure to bring results, including in his home town Karad where he is contesting his maiden assembly elections.
Taunts and cutting remarks are being traded at a dime a dozen but the real issues and solution to problems that people face in their constituencies have seen little improvement everywhere. Water and electricity shortage, unemployment, rising prices, farmers’ suicides, malnutrition, health and Naxalism are some of the serious issues facing the state. Sitting MLAs have much to answer though the new candidates from the major parties have left voters confused — a situation also caused by rampant rebellion.
Maharashtra elections at a glance:
Population: 112.4 million
Number of voters: 82.5 million
Population below 27 years of age: 50%
Constituencies: 288 out of which 29 reserved for scheduled castes and 25 for scheduled tribes
Candidates: Over 7,666 (more than double than in last election)
Major parties: Indian National Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena
Others: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Republican Party of India (Athawale), Swabhiman Shetkari Sanghatna, Peasants and Workers Party of India, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and others.
