On Sunday, in apparent exuberance of confidence, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that the Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will secure a full majority in the ensuing Maharashtra Assembly elections.
After releasing the BJP’s manifesto for the November 20 polls, Shah said all three alliance partners have released their respective manifestos. He declared that after the elections, a committee of ministers would be constituted to ensure the implementation of the promises offered to the people.
When asked about the chief ministerial candidate, Shah said, “Mahayuti, after gaining a majority, will decide its chief ministerial face. Currently, Eknath Shinde is the chief minister. After the elections, the three alliance partners will come together to make that decision.”.
Shah explained the Shiv Sena and NCP splits as an outcome of internal dynamics at work in the two parties and attributed them to Uddhav Thackeray’s fondness for his son Aaditya and Sharad Pawar’s support for Supriya Sule at the cost of Ajit Pawar. Shah also rejected the blame that the Shiv Sena and NCP have been trying to fixate on the BJP as a splitter of the two parties, saying there was no justification for that.
Re-echoing the stand of the BJP and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah reiterated the party’s opposition to “family-based” politics. Shah also countered Congress’ claims about BJP trying to weaken reservations, saying that the Modi government has strengthened reservations for OBCs.
Condemning Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Shah referred to an incident recently where the former was criticized for showing off a Constitution with blank pages. “He has now become the butt of a joke,” said Shah.
Regarding the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi and Shah also pointed out contradictions in their objections to the Ladki Bahin scheme of the Mahayuti government for women. “On the contrary, MVA has also announced such schemes with greater financial support. Instead of judging our performance, Rahul Gandhi should see what is happening in states ruled by his party,” Shah said.
On the same day, it also released its manifesto for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, which includes five key guarantees to the state’s people. Congress’s national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, announced annual aid of around ₹3 lakh for every family and introduced the Mahalakshmi scheme, which ₹3,000 monthly financial aid for all women.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, and vote counting will be conducted on November 23.
