Mumbai: Since the 2019 assembly elections, the people of Maharashtra have seen three governments, three Chief Ministers and four Deputy Chief Ministers in the last 5 years, which is a proof of how much instability there is in the politics of the state. Meanwhile, Maharashtra is once again voting for the assembly elections today. For this, all the political parties have sacrificed their lives. The impact of schemes like OBC integration, Maratha reservation and girl sisterhood in elections cannot be ignored. These are factors that can significantly influence the fate and outcome of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti and Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
These factors can tilt the scales towards any alliance and determine which alliance, Mahayuti or MVA, comes out on top in the elections. Mahayuti's attempt to woo OBC voters in its favor will be a major challenge in the Maharashtra elections. The important factor is the consolidation of Other Backward Class (OBC) votes. BJP, which is part of the Mahayuti alliance, tried to consolidate non-Maratha votes, especially among the OBCs. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan 'If we are together, we are safe', the Mahayuti aims to take advantage of the concern among OBCs over reservation in educational institutions and government jobs, which they fear will increase if Marathas are included in the OBC list. If included, their reservation may be reduced.
BJP's efforts to consolidate OBC votes may be beneficial, however, it also poses a challenge for the Mahayuti alliance, as it needs to balance the interests of both Maratha and OBC communities, without alienating either group. .MVA is eyeing Maratha votes. According to India Today report, the demand of Maratha community for inclusion in the list of Other Backward Classes has been a controversial issue for a long time. The Mahayuti alliance's evasive stand on this issue has created a feeling of alienation among the Marathas, due to which the BJP had to lose all the parliamentary seats in Marathwada in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Opposition by Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil also hurt Mahayuti in Vidarbha and parts of western Maharashtra in the general elections. The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which includes the Congress, Shiv Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, is likely to benefit from this discontent. The MVA has been more vocal in supporting the demands of the Maratha community, thereby increasing the Maratha vote. Can go to the side. If voted to power, the MVA has promised to bring a comprehensive bill to provide reservation to Marathas, Dhangars, Lingayats, Muslims and Scheduled Caste Nomadic Tribes. Clearly the MVA has tried to woo these voters. However, there is a catch in this. In fact, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is emerging as a big Maratha leader and can keep a large chunk of Maratha votes away from MVA.
.Direct contest between BJP and Congress on 76 seats. An important aspect of Maharashtra Assembly elections is the direct contest between BJP and Congress on 76 seats. BJP is confident of winning more than 50 of these seats, which could be an important factor in determining the outcome of the elections. In recent years, Congress has performed poorly in direct contests against the BJP. Due to this, the oldest party has had to face criticism even from its allies.
Can BJP win back Vidarbha? Vidarbha region with 62 seats in 288 seats is the second largest region of Maharashtra after Western Maharashtra. The region, traditionally a BJP stronghold, saw a significant change in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the MVA won seven out of 10 Lok Sabha seats. Vidarbha is often called the gateway to political power in Maharashtra. The agriculture sector is now facing a predominantly rural crisis, especially among soybean and cotton farmers. The Congress has promised a minimum support price of Rs 7,000 per quintal and bonus to soybean farmers if the MVA comes to power, which could connect strongly with the farming community. The role of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). can also be seen in Vidarbha, as Nagpur is an important center of this region.
The headquarters of RSS is in Nagpur. Battle of Schemes and RevadisMaharashtra elections have also become a battleground for freebies and promises from both the alliances. Here, the BJP-led alliance is seeing its 'Ladki Bahin' scheme as an important factor. Under this scheme, women get Rs 1500 in cash from the government. On the other hand, the Congress-led MVA has gone ahead of Mahayuti and promised to give Rs 3,000 to each woman.
Similarly, both the alliances have also made similar announcements for youth, senior citizens and farmers. Farmers' Issues and Rural Distress In eastern districts of Maharashtra like Gadchiroli, rural distress has been an issue for a long time. Here agricultural problems like low prices of soybean, cotton, onion and sugarcane are a matter of serious concern for the farmers. For rural people of Maharashtra, inflation may also be an important factor. Congress sought to ban cotton imports to woo farmers and promised better support prices for farmers, which may influence rural voters. Is.
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