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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Fadnavis hero of BJP's victory

Mumbai: In a resounding testament to his strategic prowess, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has emerged as the architect of the BJP’s impressive election victory in the state. The way he orchestrated the campaign, crafted his message, and selected candidates has left observers and allies alike hailing his mastery of the political landscape. Even as the Municipal Council results unfolded, most of the political analysts were reminded of the Mahayuti’s resounding victory during the assembly...

Fadnavis hero of BJP's victory

Mumbai: In a resounding testament to his strategic prowess, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has emerged as the architect of the BJP’s impressive election victory in the state. The way he orchestrated the campaign, crafted his message, and selected candidates has left observers and allies alike hailing his mastery of the political landscape. Even as the Municipal Council results unfolded, most of the political analysts were reminded of the Mahayuti’s resounding victory during the assembly elections last year. While Fadnavis played crucial role even in those elections, the credit for those results was given primarily to the then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, under whole leadership the Mahayuti had contested the election. However, Fadnavis, who took the charge of the state last year after the assembly elections, successfully demonstrated that even after a year in the saddle, he has been able to not just keep the popularity of the Mahayuti intact, but has actually increased it. Fadnavis’ strategy was built on a delicate balance of people-centric initiatives, social pragmatism, and a keen understanding of the state’s complex political dynamics. His relentless focus on development, coupled with a sharp eye on social arithmetic, helped the BJP connect with voters across demographics. Grassroot Workers Yet another decisive factor that worked in favour of Fadnavis was the positive reinforcement that he provided to the grassroot workers of the BJP in particular and Mahayuti constituents in general. These elections of Nagar Palika and Nagar Panchayats are considered to be the elections driven entirely by the grassroot political workers. Through is tiring campaign trail Fadnavis assured these grassroot workers that he would stand by their side and for them in their testing times. “Grassroot workers are the real nerves for any political party. Fadnavis not just reached out to people for them, but also presented the grand vision of developemnt for their respective areas, making the victory easy for them. When juxtaposed with leaders like Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who didn’t even address a single rally for these elections, the importance of Fadnavis’ efforts from the point of view of grassroot workers emerges taller,” said one of the senior officials of CMO, while highlighting the difference between Fadnavis and the opposition leaders, who, in his opinion left the grassroot workers of their respective parties alone to fight for themselves. Stark Contrast State BJP president Ravindra Chavan highlighted the stark contrast between Fadnavis and his opponents. Fadnavis, who addressed over 50 large rallies to campaign for these elections, never criticized any of the opposition leaders. His single minded focus was on the development agenda that he has set for the state and explaining to people as to how he has been advancing it. He reached out to people over phone and through the internet to places where it was impossible for him to reach due to time constraints. Even in those short interactions he could convince the people that he is well aware of their issues and aspirations and he also assured them of solutions to their problems. On the contrary the opposition leaders tried to spread a false narrative against him. Social Fabric Apart from Fadnavis’ ability to strike a chord with the masses through his rallies, Fadnavis also demonstrated his grasp of the state’s social fabric by ensuring representation to various communities in the candidate selection process. The BJP’s list of candidates was a testament to his ability to balance competing interests and create a diverse yet cohesive team. Fadnavis’ leadership style, often described as decisive and inclusive, has earned him recognition as one of the BJP’s most effective leaders in the state. His ability to navigate complex political situations, including the split in the Shiv Sena and the alliance with Eknath Shinde, showcased his strategic acumen. As the BJP’s star campaigner, Fadnavis cramped the opposition’s style by projecting himself as a leader above narrow politics. His emphasis on good governance, transparency, and accountability resonated with urban voters, who are increasingly looking for leaders who can deliver results. The results are a testament to Fadnavis’ ability to connect with the people and his party’s commitment to serving them. As he looks to the future, the onus is on him to deliver on his promises and take Maharashtra to new heights.

Mahayuti shall return to power with not much changes in the power equation: Shinde

Updated: Nov 15, 2024

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appears very confident and is absolutely sure of returning to power after the assembly elections next week. Excerpts of the conversation with him ahead of the crucial polls that the whole nation is watching.


Eknath Shinde

Q. How do you assess the 2024 Assembly elections? What is different from the other Vidhan Sabha elections?

A. Assembly elections are like exams for us. We go to people with our report cards and they assess us based on our performance. All the parties including the big political organizations and even those in power have to follow this procedure. This time, the volume is big. Apart from Shiv Sena there are at least six other political parties and some alliances are contesting the elections. There are several independent candidates also who want to try their luck. That makes a huge lot and that has added spice to the elections. Everybody is waiting to watch the outcome. Elections are not new to me. I have been doing both, to contest and win myself as well as help other win. I have been doing this for a long time. But, yes this is the first time that I am contesting and facing the elections with an added responsibility of the Shiv Sena party chief. In that sense this election is a bit different for me that those I have faced in the past.


Q. The elections are being fought by Mahayuti under your leadership. What are the issues that you are taking before the people?

A. We have been pursuing the development agenda. We want to see a sustainable, quality and all-round development that would bring happiness into the lives of the people. Especially, the yet under-developed areas of the state, small hamlets and even the cities need financial strengthening. Employment and self-employment needs a boost. World class infrastructure and good educational institutions are required. Schemes that would make the farmers self-sufficient and the agriculture independent need to be promoted. Women’s empowerment is yet to be complete. There are several things that we want to accomplish. We are going to people with what we have done and we are sharing our vision with them as to what we want to accomplish.


Q. There was lot of criticism of the Ladki Bahin scheme by the MVA. They said that it would be a strain on exchequer and it will be shut after the elections. Now they have made a similar promise.

A. That is their double-speak. They are confused themselves. They know very well that the scheme is sustainable. But, don’t want to accept it. Yet, when they see the people enthusiastic about the scheme, they are not able to resist themselves from announcing something similar. Basically the scheme is for the benefit of all the downtrodden sections of the deprived classes. There was no need to politicise the issue. But, the opposition lost their cool when they saw the people’s support to the scheme. Initially they tried to create confusion saying that there would be a strain on exchequer. But, when 2.40 crore sisters got the five instalments deposited to their bank accounts, they realized the potential of the scheme and they made a U-turn. This in itself underlines the great success of the scheme. They themselves have made it clear that they opposed the scheme initially out of political insecurity.

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