Maharashtra is one of the rare examples where at least six major parties are contesting the elections for the upcoming assembly elections. However, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance – despite its below-par performance in the state during the Lok Sabha elections – is making efforts to create a strong and united front.
Most importantly, unlike the previous elections, the ruling Mahayuti – as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is known in Maharashtra – will run a unified campaign that is likely to boost the morale of cadres of all three parties.
What did the BJP decide in the CEC meeting?
As the BJP held its central election committee meeting in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (October 16), sources said the party was confident of contesting 115 to 120 seats.
However, the central election committee (CEC) is holding discussions on all the 288 assembly constituencies in the state, which also includes the seats to be contested by the alliance partners – Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
“We have an overall discussion on the seats that are suitable for our alliance partners, and there will be further discussions on that direction. We have decided on 240 seats in the alliance, and in the next few days, the remaining 48 seats will be decided,” a BJP source said. above. News18.
Now, for the assembly polls, the BJP has no plans to field MPs or those who did not win the recently held Lok Sabha elections or did not get tickets to contest the elections. The party is confident that after the course correction over the past month, it is in a position to win candidates from the state.
After the CEC meeting on Wednesday, another meeting may not be necessary. The saffron party is likely to give all the powers to the president to further decide the ticket.
The division of seats in the alliance will also be done on the basis of strength and weakness in certain areas. For example, most of the seats in Marathwada region could be contested by Shiv Sena, while BJP and NCP may want to focus on Vidarbha and Mumbai.
“We also have to calculate the contest very scientifically. It is natural that if the contest between the two Senas is given, then it may be between the two factions of the NCP. In many of these seats, there may be a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress on that matter,” he said. party spokesperson.
What are the focal points in the NDA strategy?
However, all efforts were made to correct what went wrong in the general elections, where two regional parties split, and half of the two came to the NDA. However, the change in the vote bank was not what the NDA wanted.
“One of the biggest thrusts at this time is vote transfer. Netas are coming, but votes are not following. For example, Shiv Sena is coming, but the ‘shivsainiks’ are not,” said the BJP MP, who lost the Lok Sabha polls, adding that the BJP could count the votes for the new participants in the alliance, Sena and NCP. votes cannot benefit BJP much.
“Considering the possibility of some rebels coming out of the party after the tickets are announced, which is possible in a big party like ours, senior leaders and experienced personnel who have dealt with Maharashtra in the past, like Bhupender Yadav, have been working on the ground to defuse the crisis. ,ā said a Maharashtra BJP leader, on condition of anonymity.
The source also informed that in the next 24 to 48 hours, the first list of candidates will be announced. It is possible that all alliance partners can release the list at the same time.
On the sidelines of the Haryana chief minister’s swearing-in ceremony, which will be attended by all NDA CMs and deputy CMs, a meeting is likely to take place between BJP leaders and NDA leaders from Maharashtra. After the meeting, in the presence of Modi, JP Nadda and Amit Shah from the Centre, more clarity will emerge.
“We will discuss various issues and, once everything is clear, we will hold a press conference in the national capital again to announce the nuances of our alliance,” said a national official familiar with the development. News18.
What will the NDA campaign look like?
After coming out of the press conference about the work done by the Mahayuti government in the last two and a half years, it is expected that the alliance campaign will be on the same lines. Wherever they campaign, they will have all three party symbols and, in fact, there will be several joint rallies by the top leaders of all three parties in the country.
The central leader will also campaign for the alliance. The biggest star campaign is, of course, the country’s prime minister and is expected to win all 288 seats, but it is unlikely that he will be able to hold a rally. He is expected to hold public meetings in every division in the country.
“PM Modi is expected to hold public meetings in each of the six divisions in the country, and we will start public meetings only after Diwali when the polls will be held,” the union minister said. News18.
The NDA is also set to release a public manifesto focusing on the development work being done in the country and the development and welfare initiatives it hopes for in the future. The manifesto has been worked on for the past few weeks and is expected to be implemented soon. The NDA is expected to announce its manifesto before the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
What are the lessons from the last election?
As in Madhya Pradesh, effective implementation of the Ladki Behna scheme could be a game-changer for the alliance. “We have about 2.5 crore women who have signed up for the scheme. It makes a difference in their daily lives by being able to support their children’s education, take care of medical expenses, start small jobs and have money for savings; This is the feedback which is received from the ground,ā said a BJP lawmaker from the state, on condition of anonymity.
Talking about the plan’s impact on the ground, the MP added: “Women have been the most neglected support for any government. Behan hi jitaegi (the voices of our sisters will make us win).
What we saw in the Haryana results recently was the consolidation of OBC votes, which largely helped the BJP win and erase its Lok Sabha poll deficit. Therefore, the party is very confident that the formation of a rainbow coalition of small communities can add to the vote bank.
The party’s main thrust is to seek votes from Buddhist Dalits, who account for 60 percent of the Dalit vote in the state. “If there are 1 crore Dalits in the country, 55 percent are Buddhists. Hence, the silent campaign by the minority affairs minister, Kiren Rijiju, for the last three months has been very effective, and we are confident that the OBC vote will come in this election. We have been able effectively making the OBC population aware that they are falling in love with theā¦opposition narrative,ā said a state BJP official.
What other factors?
Last but not least, the silent labor for the BJP has always been the RSS which continues to hold small meetings – sometimes at the family level – and it has proven to be very effective, just like the Haryana polls, the RSS held. over 16,000 such meetings.
Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS, is also in Maharashtra and here the BJP’s ideological partners are expected to do their best. It has been learned that he should hold at least four meetings in Maharashtra, instead of in Haryana.
On October 15, the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. The state will vote in phase one on November 20, after which the counting of votes will take place on November 23.
