Mumbai: MahaYuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena NCP has not only recorded a landslide victory but its development plank with an assurance of continuity in governance convinced voters.
Barely five months after the dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the five major factors that helped MahaYuti to score major victory include Ladki Bahin Yojana and other welfare and development schemes, RSS’ planning and Batenge To Katenge slogan, hard work by Devendra Fadnavis, aggressive campaign to counter opposition’s communal and divisive politics and promise to increase the pace of state’s development by carrying out a slew of infrastructure projects and keeping the state’s most favour destination status intact. Voters thereby preferred MahaYuti over Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Ladaki Baheen Yojana played a major role in the victory of MahaYuti. The Grand Alliance government changed the picture by introducing this scheme four months before the elections.
More than 2.36 crore women got Rs 7,500 (Rs 1,500 each from July to November) with the assurance to increase the financial aid to Rs 2,100 and later to Rs 3,000 per month. Due to the flawless implementation of the scheme, women’s faith in the MahaYuti increased.
In Madhya Pradesh too, BJP got success with the Ladli Bahna scheme. The BJP had accused Congress-ruled Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh of failing to implement welfare schemes. The opposition, especially the Congress, could not respond to this.
After the shock in the Lok Sabha results, the BJP made meticulous planning in Maharashtra ahead of the assembly election. RSS and its affiliated organisations united and implemented the ‘Sajag Raho’ campaign (Remain Alert) appealing to the voters to vote and increase the voting percentage.
It got a big response in the cities, but in the rural areas, it was clear from the results that the preachers stood with all their might in favour of the BJP.
Slogans like ‘Batenge to Katenge’ and ‘EkHai to Seif Hai’ stirred the state. BJP and MahaYuti leaders cornered the Congress party to play appeasement politics, especially after its support to Ulema over the reservation to the Muslim community. The Congress and Maha Vikas Aghadi tried to counter the Batenge To Katenge and Muslim reservation issue but failed to get voters’ support.
In urban-rural areas, Hindu voters stood behind the MahaYuti across castes. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath was the first to give the Batenge to Katenge slogan that helped the BJP to aggressively lure Hindu voters.
BJP won 84 per cent of the seats it contested. The role played by DCM Devendra Fadnavis was quite crucial in BJP’s victory and increase in its strike rate. The pro-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil consistently targeted Fadnavis but instead of replying to him, the latter reminded the Maratha community voters that during his tenure as the state chief minister the state government had provided reservation in jobs and education to the Maratha community.
His meticulous planning in the selection of candidates and campaigning yielded positive results for BJP. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah hinted that Fadnavis would be the next chief minister, Jarange stepped up attacks against Fadnavis.
Jarange-Patil held meetings with Muslim, Dalit and Maratha leaders to checkmate the BJP but it worked in favour of the BJP and MahaYuti to garner votes from OBCs.
Moreover, urban voters overwhelmingly supported BJP and MahaYuti for undertaking a slew of infrastructure projects worth over Rs 8 lakh crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MahaYuti Jithe Ahe Tithe Pragati Ahe (where there is MahaYuti there is progress) call created magic as urban voters voted for MahaYuti in a big way. Nearly, 40 per cent of the seats in the state are urban-semi-urban of which 95 per cent were won by the MahaYuti.
The effective marketing of projects like Samruddhi Marg, Atal Setu, Mumbai Coastal Road, and Metro projects worked wonders for the MahaYuti.
The mega victory has boosted the BJP and MahaYuti especially ahead of civic and local body elections as they will make every effort to consolidate their positions.
On the other hand, the Maha Vikas Aghadi faces a tough challenge to stay relevant in state politics and counter the BJP-centric politics.
(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
–IANS
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