New Delhi: The Assembly elections in Maharashtra are important for the Bharatiya Janata Party as a win in the state would help it dominate the parliamentary debates in the winter session which starts immediately after the announcement of the election results of Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
Moreover, Maharashtra elections are seen as a battleground for the national political agenda as well. The BJP has a strong presence and aims to consolidate its influence in the state, leveraging its national governance track record and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity. The BJP’s emphasis on national issues like Hindutva and economic reforms is a strategy to attract voters by projecting a vision of stability and progress.
In contrast, regional parties like the Shiv Sena and the NCP aim to highlight local concerns, arguing that Maharashtra’s unique socio-economic challenges require a state-focused approach rather than blanket national policies. The Congress, for its part, is trying to reposition itself as a relevant alternative in a state where it has historically held power, though its influence has waned in recent years.
A senior Congress leader said, “The Congress is trying its best to defeat the BJP in one on one fights mostly in the assembly seats in Vidharba and Marathwada regions. If they are able to win the seats where they have performed well in the Lok Sabha elections, they may be able to reduce the numbers of the BJP. The saffron camp had more than a hundred seats last time in 2019 and the Congress had less than half their number. But this time the Congress may be in a close fight with the BJP.”