With the announcement of polling dates by the Election Commission, all eyes are set on states which can play an instrumental role in the formation of the government. After Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra the state with the second highest number of Lok Sabha seats (48) is the point of focus and is churning with interesting political developments.
Shiv Sena and BJP have decided to stand together for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, this comes nearly 13 months after Shiv Senas’ National Executive passed a resolution to contest all elections independently. After reaching common ground and managing their differences, the prospects look good for the NDA in Maharashtra. National approval ratings by Republic TV and C voter gave a whopping 35 seats to NDA out of the total 48 which different analysts believe is to increase as we get close to polling dates. Shiv sena Leader, Uddhav Thakrey in a press conference said “the country needs to be taken in the right direction and this alliance will help in providing resolutions”
What comes as an important factor is the formation of a third front, with an alliance between Prakash Ambedkars’ Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM . While sources in BBM maintained that the alliance is on principle and to provide justice to marginalized groups, Experts believe the ‘third front’ which plans to contest on all the seats is set to cut into anti-NDA votes , which further worsen the ground for UPA.
Tall leaders in Maharashtra seem to have gauged that the wind’s in favor of the NDA. NCP chief Sharad Pawar recently announced his withdrawal from the general elections he said, “already two members of my family are contesting polls this time and hence I felt this is the right time to take decision to not contest.” Prithviraj Chauhan, the tallest leader of the Congress in the state, has also refused to contest the elections. With senior leaders jumping the ship, major questions on effective leadership for the Lok Sabha elections are in question for both Congress and NCP. This increasing vacuum of leadership in the opposition parties might also lead to a total collapse of the party machinery and ultimately huge electoral losses for the already struggling UPA opposition in Maharashtra.
Sujay Vikhe Patil, son of senior Congress leader and the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has joined the BJP. This comes after the Sharad Pawar led- NCP shunned Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil’s request to leave aside Ahmednagar seat for his Son. BJP’s Dilip Gandhi is the sitting MP from the Ahmednagar seat.
The jumping of ships and refusal to contest in elections, by many tall leaders in Maharashtra is indicative of the declining support for the opposition and increasing positive sentiment for NDA. These developments have had a demoralizing effect on the party cadre of both Congress and NCP, consequently which may lead to inefficient election management by party members further worsening the prospects of the UPA in Maharashtra or a total collapse.
With the new realities setting in and many tall leaders in the opposition expressing their reservations, NDA is set to sweep Maharashtra in the upcoming elections which might prove crucial in order to form the government in 2019.
