Maharashtra’s ‘sugar bowl’ braces for electoral battle

New Delhi: The “sugar bowl” of Maharashtra is preparing for a heated political battle in the upcoming state Assembly elections, set for a single phase on November 20, 2024. Western Maharashtra will be the stage for a fierce contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with a particular focus on the internal struggle within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has split into factions led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. The results in this key region could significantly influence Maharashtra’s political landscape for the next five years.
This agriculturally rich region, which includes Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, and Kolhapur, has long been a political stronghold for heavyweights like the undivided NCP and Congress. However, the recent division within the NCP and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) push for a comeback have raised the stakes in this election. Western Maharashtra, with its 70 Assembly seats, has traditionally been dominated by the Congress-NCP alliance. Since 2014, though, BJP, riding on the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been challenging this dominance. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP won 27 seats, while the BJP claimed 20. Congress secured 12, the undivided Shiv Sena took five, and smaller parties, including Surajya Janashakti and independents, captured the remaining seats.
The political landscape this time around in the region is significantly different from previous elections due to the split within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Both factions, led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, are intensifying their efforts to assert dominance in the region and demonstrate their value within their respective alliances. This election presents a more intricate scenario, with both factions of the NCP striving to consolidate power and regain influence.
The Sharad Pawar-led faction has already managed to attract leaders from both, BJP and the rival NCP camp.
“We are confident of winning the elections and have high hopes from Western Maharashtra. This region has traditionally supported Sharad Pawar,” said Jayant Patil, the state president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), following the announcement of the election date.
Clyde Crasto, spokesperson for the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, expressed confidence in their faction’s strength. He pointed to the results of the recent Lok Sabha elections, where Ajit Pawar’s faction struggled, notably failing to secure a victory for Ajit’s wife.
“This reflects the weakness of their faction,” Crasto said, adding that their own faction remains strong not only in Western Maharashtra but also across other regions like Konkan and Vidarbha.
However, he refrained from disclosing the number of seats the party plans to contest in Western Maharashtra.
On the other hand, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction is focused on reclaiming ground in Western Maharashtra, especially after the setback in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where Ajit’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, was defeated by Supriya Sule in Baramati. This loss has further fuelled the rivalry between the two NCP factions and raised the stakes for the Ajit Pawar camp. With several senior leaders still aligned with Sharad Pawar, the faction led by him remains stronger in the region, creating a “do or die” scenario for Ajit Pawar’s group.
Adding to the complexity, BJP is keen to assert itself in Western Maharashtra and is unwilling to rely solely on Ajit Pawar’s faction. This has led to tensions within the Mahayuti alliance, as BJP aims to contest seats where it or the Shinde-led Shiv Sena finished second in the last election. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar seeks to contest the majority of seats in Western Maharashtra to demonstrate his influence within the alliance.
NCP national spokesperson Brijmohan Srivastava said that his faction plans to contest most of the seats in Western Maharashtra, as it has traditionally been their stronghold. He emphasised that this election, following the NCP split, will be a critical opportunity to showcase their strength and credibility under Ajit Pawar’s leadership. Srivastava also noted that the Ajit Pawar-led faction has been actively working on the ground since the split and is ready to give the Sharad Pawar-led faction a tough fight, leaving it to the public to decide their fate.