One definite change in the BJP’s Haryana campaign was the widespread involvement of the RSS.
New Delhi:
BJP’s historic victory in Haryana has prompted the party to enter the Maharashtra elections with a more confident strategy focused primarily on five key concerns.
According to sources, the BJP is set to contest the maximum number of seats, around 155, and wants to ensure that it runs a unified campaign with its allies, Shiv Sena and NCP, amid optimism among voters about the Ladki Bahin scheme. should be maximized. Ruling coalition.
Reaching out to non-dominant communities and mitigating the impact of the demands of the Maratha movement, ensuring vote transfer among its allies and more importantly, running a campaign that addresses the social and political anti-incumbency at the micro level is also of paramount importance. Is a priority.
The party’s first Central Election Committee met at the party headquarters on Wednesday night, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Home Minister Amit Shah and other party leaders were present, as sources said the BJP is likely to release its first list. The number of candidates expected to contest within two days will range from 154 to 158 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.
In the 2019 assembly elections in the state, BJP had emerged as the largest party with 105 seats. Its then ally – the Uddhav Thackeray-led undivided Shiv Sena – had won 56 seats, while the undivided Nationalist Congress Party, which was part of the opposition Congress-led UPA, had won 41 seats. Congress had won 44 seats.
The BJP is now eyeing a comeback after a disappointing performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state six months ago, where the party suffered a setback by winning only 9 out of 28 seats. Maharashtra is particularly important for the BJP, as it is home to Mumbai, the country’s commercial capital, which is important for investment, FDI and the development focus of Modi 3.0, and due to identity issues including Maratha pride and the prevalence of vocal Dalit-Ambekarite groups. It is also important for. Critic of RSS.
A closer look at rivals
BJP people working on the campaign say the party will trigger “cognitive dissonance” among many Shiv Sena (UBT) voters, claiming they are angry over the Lok Sabha results, in which the Congress won 16 seats.
“The core voter base of Shiv Sena has never liked the Congress, and in the Lok Sabha elections, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) vote shifted to its allies, not the other way around, that is why the Congress performed so well, and also “This will work to our advantage compared to Shiv Sena (UBT), which had fought on tough seats,” said a senior BJP functionary.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been portrayed as a true Shiv Sainik, following the path envisioned by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and even taking it further by connecting with the common man. As chief minister, he has opened the doors of his official residence, Varsha, to the general public in a way no other chief minister has done before, making him as trustworthy as the Shiv Sainik next door. A party leader also mentioned that the Lok Sabha results cannot be seen as a barometer for what is to come, citing examples where the BJP won 5 out of 6 assembly constituencies (ACs) but lost the Lok Sabha seats. Seats were lost, especially in constituencies like Dhule and Dhule. Malegaon. BJP insiders said that they are keeping a close eye on the MVA’s strategy, especially any mistakes they may make.
A party leader in Maharashtra said, “If they declare Uddhav as chief minister, we will also resume our campaign…but it doesn’t seem possible right now.”
Focus on organizational strengths
One definite change in the BJP’s Haryana campaign was the greater involvement of the RSS, with state in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan emphasizing on optimizing the party’s organizational strength.
“Dharmendra Pradhan comes from the ABVP, the student wing of the RSS. He gets along very well with the RSS, especially with leaders like Dattatreya Hosabale. Similarly, in Maharashtra, Bhupendra Yadav originates from the All India Advocates Parishad, lawyers wing. He knows what importance the RSS holds for the BJP, so he has made the campaign worker-centric,” said a party functionary.
BJP is also trying to solve the problems of potential rebels. Senior minister Bhupendra Yadav, who is also in-charge of the state, along with minister Ashwini Vaishnav, who is also co-in-charge for the state elections, have been tasked with talking to the people. “Keeping the morale of workers high is on top of the agenda. Home Minister Amit Shah is holding meetings with workers in groups of 1,500 to 2,000 to understand their problems and motivate them to keep working, which is why It’s not being talked about much.” Confront the Chief Minister so that workers of other parties are not discouraged.
welfare work
The trump card of the alliance’s campaign, however, remains the populist steps announced by the Chief Minister, including the Chief Manti Ladki Bahin Yojana – a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to 2.5 crore women in the age group of 18 to 65 years – and Diwali bonus to the BMC. worker. The Ladki Bahin scheme has particularly generated an overwhelming response, and the BJP feels it will prove to be a game-changer, as similar schemes were in place in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP won the assembly elections last year. The BJP is putting in a lot of extra effort in Marathwada where it is trying hard to ensure that Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s agitation does not impact its prospects.
Its complete defeat in the Marathwada region, where it failed to secure any of the 8 seats, has been attributed to Maratha unrest over reservation issues. The BJP also faces challenges in maintaining its dominance in Vidarbha, where the Congress defeated it in the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing concerns over vote transfer
The party has decided with its allies that it will run a joint campaign with a common tagline to show a united face. “It comes naturally, but the BJP is being fielded in a direct contest with the Congress and in seats where the OBC communities are dominant. Wherever there are Marathas, Shinde Sena is our best bet.” Ajit Pawar The candidates have areas of influence taken into account,” another official said.
The unified campaign of the Mahayuti allies is likely to center around the projects executed by the Center and the Mahayuti government and the projects stalled by the MVA by the ruling coalition. Sources said there are no plans at present to have former MPs contest the elections, but names of family members of some leaders, especially those who have proved their mettle in the past, are likely to be included in the list.
“There is a lot of emphasis on symbols as vote transfer was a concern in 2024. Symbols of allies will feature prominently in every leader’s campaign. Joint rallies are being discussed,” said the official quoted above.
PM Modi’s rallies in Maharashtra are likely to start after Diwali for maximum impact. Sources said there will be at least one PM rally in all the six divisions of Maharashtra.
reach all castes
The BJP is also reaching out to smaller, non-Maratha communities. Taking cues from its strategy in Haryana, the BJP wants to build a rainbow alliance of communities. In the last few days, about 100 such meetings have been held under the leadership of party leaders.
In the Lok Sabha, there is more focus on the Dalit votes which are slipping away from BJP. Sources said that with Kiren Rijiju working on Buddhist Dalits, who form 60 per cent of the Dalit population, the party hopes that with the welfare schemes, Dalits will come back to the party.
According to people involved in caste and community outreach in Maharashtra, the party is reaching out to Mahar, Chanar, Matang, Valmiki and other communities. “Barring a few, many of them have voted for the BJP at least for some time. So we are working on them to get their support,” the party official said.
He said Dhankar, Mali, Kunbi, Vanjari and at least 50 other OBC communities have been the main strength of the BJP.
“We have at least 25 Maratha leaders from different parts of the state whom we will feature prominently. The party has more than 45 per cent vote share which is not possible with the support of Marathas,” he said.
There are nine reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes in the state, of which Nandurbar, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Palghar and Dindori are reserved for STs, while Amravati, Ramtek, Latur, Solapur and Shirdi are reserved for SCs.
Of the nine seats, the Congress won six in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the BJP won only one seat, down from its seven seats in 2019. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Modi cabinet has been specifically tasked with reaching out to neo-Buddhists. Who form a significant part of the total Dalit population of the state.
Additionally, Bahujan Aghadi, deprived of rallying with the Gondwana Gantantra Party, will cut into some opposition votes, BJP sources said, adding that smaller parties have also played a role in the Maharashtra elections.
Spotlight on micro issues
But the BJP says it is this nuanced approach that will help it bring results. There are identity issues like Maratha reservation and the split between Shiv Sena and NCP, but there are also identity issues like inflation, farmers’ distress, onion, cotton and soybean prices, water scarcity, healthcare, road connectivity and employment opportunities that have played a role. Has played. Big role in Lok Sabha elections. “Some of them have been addressed by Cabinet decisions, but a lot more needs to be done to fully support the sentiments,” another functionary said.
