1. Home
  2. Maharashtra Assembly polls: It’s BJP vs the rest

Maharashtra Assembly polls: It’s BJP vs the rest

October 14, 2014

Modi Maharastra

Mumbai, Oct 14: With the end of campaigning on Monday, Maharashtra braces for an epic poll battle. With a riveting and unprecedented five-way contest, even Mumbai’s bookies are hedging their bets. The splintering of long-standing political alliances, just three weeks before the polls, set the stage for an election which could dramatically alter the State’s political map.

The big question is whether there will be a clear verdict. Much depends on who will benefit from the anti-incumbency factor against the 15-year rule of the Congress-NCP government, and to what extent.

BJP has the edge

Pollsters see a clear edge for the BJP that could emerge as the single-largest party. The BJP has banked heavily on the Narendra Modi juggernaut, with the Prime Minister’s blitzkrieg of 25 rallies in 10 days. By contrast the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi addressed four rallies and vice-president Rahul Gandhi six.

“There is a definite edge for the BJP because Mr. Modi’s honeymoon period has not yet ended. But whether it will get a clear mandate is not clear. Much depends on whether it has a pan-Maharashtra impact and whether the splitting of both alliances will swing votes towards the BJP,” says B. Venkatesh Kumar, political science professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 23 of the 24 seats it contested from Maharashtra. With the Prime Minister’s larger than life presence, the campaign became Modi versus the rest. The BJP had to fight off the sentiment of wounded Marathi pride fanned by its former ally the Shiv Sena.

Win will strengthen Modi-Shah as poll mascots

With the Prime Minister’s larger than life presence, the campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly polls became Modi versus the rest. The BJP had to fight off the sentiment of wounded Marathi pride fanned by its former ally the Shiv Sena.

Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the NCP and the Congress accused him of trying to divide Maharashtra, forcing the Prime Minister to issue an uncharacteristic denial.

The BJP is hoping for a repeat of its Lok Sabha success, an antidote to its recent by-election reverses. In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 23 of the 24 seats it contested from Maharashtra.

“There is a definite edge for the BJP because Mr. Modi’s honeymoon period has not yet ended. But whether it will get a clear mandate is not clear. Much depends on whether it has a pan-Maharashtra impact and whether the splitting of both alliances will swing votes towards the BJP,” says B. Venkatesh Kumar, political science professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

A win in this key State will cement the position of both Mr. Modi and party president Amit Shah as election mascots within the BJP.

However, the lack of strong leadership within the State after the death of Gopinath Munde and the party’s going back and forth on the issue of Vidarbha’s statehood could upset the party’s calculations.

If no clear mandate emerges, the post-poll picture will depend entirely on the numbers with each party. The party with the largest number of seats could form the government with the help of Independents and smaller parties. The BJP and the Shiv Sena could patch up, setting aside the bitterness during the campaign. Or non-BJP parties could try and form an alliance, with signs of a rapprochement between the Shiv Sena and the MNS. Many feel the NCP could join this camp though the party has strongly denied this. If all else fails, the State could well be in for another spell of President’s Rule.

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Maharashtra Assembly polls: It’s BJP vs the rest

Mumbai, Oct 14: With the end of campaigning on Monday, Maharashtra braces for an epic poll battle. With a riveting and unprecedented five-way contest, even Mumbai’s bookies are hedging their bets. The splintering of long-standing political alliances, just three weeks before the polls, set the stage for an election which could dramatically alter the State’s political map.

The big question is whether there will be a clear verdict. Much depends on who will benefit from the anti-incumbency factor against the 15-year rule of the Congress-NCP government, and to what extent.

BJP has the edge

Pollsters see a clear edge for the BJP that could emerge as the single-largest party. The BJP has banked heavily on the Narendra Modi juggernaut, with the Prime Minister’s blitzkrieg of 25 rallies in 10 days. By contrast the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi addressed four rallies and vice-president Rahul Gandhi six.

“There is a definite edge for the BJP because Mr. Modi’s honeymoon period has not yet ended. But whether it will get a clear mandate is not clear. Much depends on whether it has a pan-Maharashtra impact and whether the splitting of both alliances will swing votes towards the BJP,” says B. Venkatesh Kumar, political science professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 23 of the 24 seats it contested from Maharashtra. With the Prime Minister’s larger than life presence, the campaign became Modi versus the rest. The BJP had to fight off the sentiment of wounded Marathi pride fanned by its former ally the Shiv Sena.

Win will strengthen Modi-Shah as poll mascots

With the Prime Minister’s larger than life presence, the campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly polls became Modi versus the rest. The BJP had to fight off the sentiment of wounded Marathi pride fanned by its former ally the Shiv Sena.

Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the NCP and the Congress accused him of trying to divide Maharashtra, forcing the Prime Minister to issue an uncharacteristic denial.

The BJP is hoping for a repeat of its Lok Sabha success, an antidote to its recent by-election reverses. In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 23 of the 24 seats it contested from Maharashtra.

“There is a definite edge for the BJP because Mr. Modi’s honeymoon period has not yet ended. But whether it will get a clear mandate is not clear. Much depends on whether it has a pan-Maharashtra impact and whether the splitting of both alliances will swing votes towards the BJP,” says B. Venkatesh Kumar, political science professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

A win in this key State will cement the position of both Mr. Modi and party president Amit Shah as election mascots within the BJP.

However, the lack of strong leadership within the State after the death of Gopinath Munde and the party’s going back and forth on the issue of Vidarbha’s statehood could upset the party’s calculations.

If no clear mandate emerges, the post-poll picture will depend entirely on the numbers with each party. The party with the largest number of seats could form the government with the help of Independents and smaller parties. The BJP and the Shiv Sena could patch up, setting aside the bitterness during the campaign. Or non-BJP parties could try and form an alliance, with signs of a rapprochement between the Shiv Sena and the MNS. Many feel the NCP could join this camp though the party has strongly denied this. If all else fails, the State could well be in for another spell of President’s Rule.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 25,2020

New Delhi, Mar 25: The Congress said on Wednesday that it stood with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his appeal for 21-day lockdown but was "deeply disappointed by the lack of coherent strategy" and demanded that Rs 7,500 should be transferred to every Jan Dhan, PM Kisan and pension account to tide over the nutrition needs for 21-days.
It also demanded that the Public Distribution System (PDS) ration should be given free.
In a series of tweets, Congress Communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surejwala said that the need of the hour was to implement 'Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme' (Nyay) mooted by the Congress and party leader Rahul Gandhi.
"Please transfer Rs 7,500 to every Jan Dhan, PM Kisan, and every pension account to tide over nutrition needs of 21 days and give free PDS ration. We will rise together as a nation and defeat COVID-19. We stand with lockdown but are deeply disappointed by the lack of coherent strategy or a clear 'way ahead' on your part," he said.
Surjewala asked what steps the government took despite an early warning about COVID-19 and sought details about isolation beds and ventilators available to people.
"Dear PM, India will adhere to the lockdown but what steps did the govt take to tackle the corona pandemic despite early warnings in Feb? When will doctors, nurses and health workers have adequate protection? How many 'isolation beds' and ventilators are available and where?" he said.
He asked how daily wagers and labourers will sustain during the 21-day lockdown.
"What's your plan to address the huge issue of bread and butter and livelihood for millions? How will daily wagers, labourers, MGNREGA workers, factory workers, unorganised workers, fishermen, farmers and farm labour sustain for 21 days?" he asked.
Surjewala said the crying need is to arm doctors, nurses and health workers with personal protection equipment and asked: "why are N-95 masks, Hazmat suits not available?"
"In March itself, India needs 7.25 lakh bodysuits, 60 lakh N-95 masks, 1 crore 3 ply masks? When will they be available?" he asked.
Surjewala said that the government banned the export of ventilators, respiratory devices and sanitisers only yesterday on March 24, "84 days after the spread of COVID-19."
"Is this your government's 'Modus operandi' to fight coronavirus? Too little, Too late!," he said.
Noting that two-thirds of the country's population is engaged in agriculture, he said that Prime Minister Modi did not refer to farmers during his address to the nation and demanded a moratorium on farmers' loans.
"Crop is ready for harvest in March itself. How will it be harvested and sold and who will buy at fair price? Indebtedness relief to farmers is the only way forward in these testing times. Please put a moratorium on farmers' loans and recoveries. Please ensure the procurement of crops at MSP. Let's not forget that farmers are the backbone of India's economy," he said.
Surjewala said the Prime Minister gave only four hours to prepare for 21-day lockdown.
"Did you think of over 5 lakh truck drivers, who are now stranded on roads? Did you think of millions of workers, who are stranded in cities away from home without food or money? What should they do," he asked.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
March 24,2020

Gautam Buddh Nagar, Mar 24: As many as 96 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered and more than 2000 challans issued in Noida yesterday for violation of lockdown rules, police said. The lockdown was imposed in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has taken more than 14000 lives across the globe.

The FIRs were registered against people for allegedly flouting Section 144 and not adhering to the orders of the state government for staying indoors.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday stated that all borders adjoining Uttar Pradesh should be completely sealed.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 31,2020

New Delhi, May 31: Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday questioned the Prime Minister on how much money has been given to labourers from the PM-CARES Fund.

"I would like to ask Prime Minister Modi, 'Can you tell us how much money did you give to labourers from your PM-CARES Fund?' I request him to answer this question. Many people died during this period, some died while walking, some died in the train, some died of hunger," Sibal said while addressing a virtual press conference.

The senior Congress leader further asked how much ex gratia did the Prime Minister give to the labourers who died in the corona crisis while negotiating the lockdown.

"I refer you to Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act. It says that ex gratia assistance on account of the loss of life and also assistance for the restoration of livelihood should be provided by the government. Did the government give ex gratia assistance to people who died in the crisis? The act also mentions special provisions for widows and orphans. The government should clarify how much assistance they gave to such people," he said.

Sibal said that the government should keep aside its agenda for the last six years and concentrate on making pro-poor policies.

"In the coming days, our economy is going to go into the negative territory as also confirmed by RBI. There are 45 crore labourers in our country. What will be their state? We have to look at our future. That is why we want to request the government that the agenda that they have run over the last six years should be kept aside and that government should care about the poor and draft policies for them," the Congress leader said.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.