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After resounding Lok Sabha win, BJP-Sena set sight on retaining power in Maharashtra Assembly

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | By, Mumbai
May 24, 2019 04:14 PM IST

Arithmetically, the ruling BJP-Sena alliance in Maharashtra can win a majority in the Assembly as they have won more than two-thirds of the Lok Sabha seats in the state.

With the resounding victory in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena combine appears to be better placed to win the state Assembly polls to be held in September-October this year.

The dismal performance of the opposition Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as well as the split in the opposition votes by Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has come as welcome news for the saffron combine, which is looking to retain power in the state.

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After fighting the Lok Sabha polls together and winning 42 seats in May 2014, BJP and Shiv Sena snapped ties ahead of the Assembly elections and managed to win 122 and 63 seats respectively in October 2014. After a near-similar repeat (the combine won in 41 of the 48 seats) of its 2014 Lok Sabha performance this time too, the alliance will expect an encore in the Assembly elections. Significantly, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray indicated on Thursday that the two parties would continue their alliance in the Assembly polls. Arithmetically, the ruling alliance can win a majority in the Assembly as they have won more than two-thirds of the Lok Sabha seats in the state.

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Owing to factors such as severe drought in more than half of the districts, rise in farmer suicides and discontent among various communities over reservation issues, the Congress-NCP combine had expected to put up better show in the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra this time. The alliance was eyeing to win at least 20 seats and perform better in Vidarbha and western Maharashtra than in 2014. “We tried to galvanise the public sentiments against the government over agrarian crisis but failed to garner support from rural areas and farmers, among whom we enjoy strong support. It is worrisome for us especially when the Assembly elections are round the corner,” admitted a Congress leader.

“It is unfortunate that the 133-year-old Congress, could not perform where it was born,” said Hemant Desai, political analyst.” It is battling with various issues including leadership crisis, trust deficit among voters and lack of a strategy to expose the ruling parties. NCP has lost its ethical ground to take on ruling parties after its defeat in Maval, where (NCP chief Sharad) Pawar’s grandnephew, Parth, was fighting. I think unless a major overhaul and drastic steps are undertaken,the opposition parties have very little chance of seeing a revival in Assembly polls,” said Desai.

The Congress-NCP alliance, however, retains the hope that as issues in a state election differ from that of the Lok Sabha, they have a fair chance of winning in October. The combine faces a tough challenge not just from the ruling alliance but the VBA, which dented their prospects in at least a dozen seats in the Lok Sabha polls. “We believe the Ambedkar-led Aghadi had tacit understanding with the BJP, but it would be a tough task to convince voters of the same. (If we fail to do so), another damage at the hands of the combine in the Assembly polls is inevitable,” said an NCP leader on condition of anonymity.

“On the other hand, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s rhetoric has not proved beneficial to us in this election. We hope to change this to turn it in our favour in the state polls,” the leader said.

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan, who lost to BJP candidate Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar in Nanded , said the party would face the Assembly polls with a new spirit. “We will continue to fight on issues related to the public interest and reform the party while taking on the polls. I am sure all the senior party leaders will be able to put up a united face,” he said.

Opposition parties are also worried about the possible exodus of leaders and legislators. On Wednesday, NCP’s sitting MLA from Beed, Jaydutt Kshirsagar, joined the Shiv Sena. There could be more such defections.

“While Congress has been insensitive about the need to change its style of functioning and is ideologically rigid, the BJP has shrewdly crushed protesting voices and revolts by farmers and communities successfully. In this backdrop, a revival of the opposition is a distant dream,” said Kumar Saptarshi, a political commentator.

BJP leader Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “Stupendous results in Maharashtra is also a reflection of performance of the Devendra Fadnavis government and it is reason to believe that we will easily sweep the Assembly polls too.”‘

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