The death of Advocate Chintaman N Wanga, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Palghar in Maharashtra on 30th January, 2018 has come as a shock for the party. Late Chintaman Wanga was a popular face in his constituency and in Maharashtra, having been elected thrice to the Lok Sabha from Palghar constituency including when Palghar was part of Thane. His death had been a jolt to BJP, but a bigger jolt came when his son was poached by Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena has fielded the late MP’s son Shriniwas Wanga on Shiv Sena’s ticket for the by poll scheduled on May 28th. This is the first time Shiv Sena has decided to openly challenge the BJP government in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a rally in Palghar district accused Shiv Sena of betraying BJP by fielding Shriniwas Wanga. The matter has become a bone of contention between the two allies in Maharashtra. BJP and CM Fadnavis recognized the importance of winning the by poll and they have roped in Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath for campaigning.
BJP were able to emerge as the single largest party in the Karnataka elections owing to rallies by PM Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and CM Yogi. CM Yogi in his rallies was able to garner the attention of the voters; his stance and style clicked with the common people of Karnataka. He has become a star campaigner for the BJP; voters throughout Karnataka have already put a stamp on his acceptability and image as a firebrand speaker. CM Yogi’s hard stance on criminals and his approach towards development in the state have further boosted his credentials.
It is because of these reasons that CM Fadnavis has decided to use CM Yogi for campaigning in the Palghar constituency. CM Yogi will address rallies on May 23rd, on the same day when Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will hold rallies in Vasai and Virar. CM Yogi’s rallies will be able to influence a sizeable chunk of North Indian voters from Palghar. His star-campaigner image will further enable BJP to attract the people who have previously been Shiv Sena voters.
CM Fadnavis would be hoping that CM Yogi with his Hindutva image would be able to evoke emotions in the Palghar constituency. It would not only help the BJP in Maharashtra but also pave the way for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019. This is probably going to be the the first in a series of last 4 elections to be held before 2019, and the impact of these by polls will also be felt in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The winner of this by poll will be able to go into 2019 with reinstated confidence.
Maharashtra is one of the most populous states in India; its sizeable presence in Lok Sabha makes any elections a tough battle. Even though all the parties will be fighting tooth and nail to win this by poll, all the parties do not, however, have CM Fadnavis and CM Yogi. CM Fadnavis will act as the strategizer while CM Yogi becomes the face of BJP in Maharashtra. The joint forces of North and West will seal the win for BJP in Palghar constituency.
