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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Race for lone MVA seat intensifies

BJP finalises strategy with four seats Mumbai: The upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections have exposed clear fault lines within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. Based on its current numerical strength in the state assembly, the opposition alliance is likely to secure only one seat. This bleak reality has triggered a fierce tussle between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress over the single nomination. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is staking a firm claim on the seat as one of the...

Race for lone MVA seat intensifies

BJP finalises strategy with four seats Mumbai: The upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections have exposed clear fault lines within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. Based on its current numerical strength in the state assembly, the opposition alliance is likely to secure only one seat. This bleak reality has triggered a fierce tussle between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress over the single nomination. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is staking a firm claim on the seat as one of the members who are scheduled to retire on May 13 includes party chief Uddhav Thackeray. The party also argues that it possesses the highest number of legislators within the alliance and hence the seat is rightfully theirs. However, the Congress is aggressively pushing its own aspirants. Congress leaders are heavily citing their recent political sacrifices. They argue that the party compromised during the recent Rajya Sabha elections and deserves immediate compensation. This internal rivalry grew more complicated following a crucial meeting on Thursday. State Congress President Harshawardhan Sapkal, who called on Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the political math, later informed the media that the Congress would fully support Thackeray if he chose to contest the election himself. However, he attached a significant rider to this offer. Sapkal declared that if Thackeray opts out of the race, the coveted seat must be surrendered to the Congress. This conditional support has left the MVA leadership in a difficult position. Meanwhile, NCP (SP) too has mounted pressure for Uddhav Thackeray’s candidature at the legislative Council election. “Uddhavji is a senior and experienced leader in the state. We are all confident that his experience will consistently benefit both the state and the legislative House. It is our humble request that Uddhavji considers this proposal positively,” she said in her post on micro blogging site X while advocating party’s stance. Interestingly, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar too advocated Uddhav Thackeray’s candidature. “If former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray decides to contest for this seat, he will be welcomed. However, if he is not going to contest, there will have to be a discussion regarding who the MVA candidate will be,” Wadettiwar wrote on X. Probable Candidates While the opposition struggles over a single seat, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is moving forward confidently. The BJP plans to contest four of the nine biennial seats. They will also field a candidate for a separate bypoll. This bypoll was necessitated after Congress leader Pradnya Satav resigned and joined the BJP. The state BJP core committee, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, met on Wednesday night to finalise this strategy. The committee discussed probable candidates and will soon send a shortlist to the central leadership for approval. Nine members of the Legislative Council are scheduled to retire on May 13. Prominent figures among the retiring legislators include Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe. Members of the Legislative Assembly form the electoral college for these polls. Given the current assembly arithmetic, the ruling alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP is comfortably positioned. They are expected to sweep up to nine of the ten total seats available across the biennial and bypoll elections. Quota of 29 Winning a regular biennial seat will require a strict quota of 29 votes. The single bypoll seat demands a much higher threshold of 144 votes. This bypoll quota could potentially rise to 145 if newly elected MLAs from the April 23 Baramati and Rahuri assembly bypolls become eligible to vote. The Election Commission of India has set a tight schedule for the process. The official notification will be issued on April 23. Candidates must file their nominations by April 30. Scrutiny of the applications will take place on May 2. The deadline for withdrawal of candidature is May 4. Polling is scheduled for May 12. Votes will be counted on the same day at 5 pm, ensuring the entire process concludes just before the May 13 retirements. Tenure of nine MLAs in the legislative council ending. They are Uddhav Thackeray - Shiv Sena (UBT) Neelam Gorhe - Shiv Sena Shashikant Shinde - NCP (SP) Amol Mitkari - NCP Gopichand Padalkar - BJP Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil - BJP Rajesh Rathod - Congress Pravin Datke - BJP Ramesh Karad - BJP Pradnya Satav - Congress (Resigned)

BJP Boost

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

As the dust settles over the recent Assembly elections, the BJP, defying anti-incumbency prediction of political Cassandras and exit polls, is set for a historic third term in Haryana. This will buoy the party after its underwhelming performance in the Lok Sabha polls. The Haryana outcome not only reinforces the BJP’s foothold in national politics but also presents a counter-narrative to the INDIA bloc’s post-election fervour.

Despite the bogey stoked by lingering farmer protests and discontent surrounding the controversial Agniveer scheme, the BJP strategically diversified its approach, relying not solely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s star power—evidenced by his reduced number of rallies—but also on a ground-level consolidation of anti-Jat votes. The Congress’s over-reliance on the Jat community backfired, rallying other groups against it. Interestingly, the Dalit vote, which the Congress anticipated would tilt in its favour, has not completely abandoned the BJP.


At the forefront of the BJP's campaign was Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, whose relatively short tenure allowed him to distance himself from the decade-long rule of the previous administration. By introducing measures to benefit the backward classes, including a significant income limit increase for OBC employment from Rs. 6 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh, the BJP effectively shifted the narrative in its favour. Their mantra of ‘bina parchi, bina kharchi Naukri (promising jobs without bribes) resonated with voters.


The BJP’s rejuvenated team, led by key figures such as Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and state leaders, has seemingly addressed concerns that arose following its poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections. The incorporation of new candidates in place of established leaders provided a fresh face that contrasted sharply with the Congress’s decision to recycle incumbents.


In contrast, in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference, in alliance with the Congress, having crossed the majority threshold, reclaimed its historic dominance and is set to form the government. Here, the BJP’s performance in the first Assembly election held after the abrogation of Article 370, fell short despite its strenuous attempt to position itself as a proponent of development.


The electorate’s apparent rejection of hardline factions like the PDP reflects a nuanced response and win for democracy. Notably, the results have shown a significant rejection of separatist candidates, including those from Engineer Rashid-led Awami Ittehad Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, who failed to make a meaningful impact in the polls.


The BJP’s emphatic victory in Haryana redeems its Lok Sabha misstep but also signals a broader political resurgence, giving the party renewed vigour to march into future contests like the crucial Maharashtra Assembly election.

 
 
 

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