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From political rallies to television debates to drawing room conversations, the Maharashtra state Assembly elections seems to be dead rubber. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who died in 1966, an election issue in 2019 and a lot of the media as well as the opposition seem to have fallen for the trap. However, there are enough issues which the opposition could have capitalised on the voter dissatisfaction. But as the campaign comes to a close, the dispirited opposition failed to offer even an alternate narrative, and has showed much less gusto in providing leadership against the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in the state. As the leaders dwell on the glories of the past, the state’s population, which is reeling between drought and deluge, is worried about their future. These are some of the issues in which the people of Maharashtra have suffered under the current establishment. Auto sector slowdown hits Chakan in Pune Maharashtra has been one of the worst victims of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/slowdown-plunges-august-auto-sales-to-lowest-since-1997-98/articleshow/71055961.cms">economic slowdown</a>. In Pune, hundreds of thousands have lost jobs in the auto sales drop resulted in slashing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-auto-manufacturers-have-laid-off-350000-jobs-in-four-months/articleshow/70563890.cms">millions of jobs </a>of both temporary and permanent workers. Auto sector employees who are amongst the most well compensated of blue collar workers, are now roaming around in the auto hub of Chakan in Pune—doing<a href="https://theprint.in/economy/in-pune-auto-hub-an-engineer-is-selling-paan-another-is-roaming-around-with-his-cv/290816/"> menial jobs</a>. Former Congress party president Rahul Gandhi was one of the few to point out to the issue. He commented that Modi is showing youth the moon taking a dig at Chandrayaan 2 mission, even as the auto sector “remained shattered”. BJP, in its manifesto, however promised one crore jobs to people, but lacks details on how they plan to reverse the situation, which only seems to be worsening. Burdened with loans and low support prices-farmers resort to suicides Farmers are in no better position either. In the last five years, around 16,000 farmers have committed suicides said <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/india/maharashtra-news/elections/article/people-suffered-worst-16000-farmers-committed-suicide-over-the-past-five-years-under-sena-bjp-sharad-pawar/504721">Sharad Pawar</a>, the leader Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at his election rally in Anushakti Nagar. The septuagenarian criticized the government for not waiving loans of farmers who are hit by drought, even as thousands of crores to corporates are being written off as non-performing assets. The state government did waive off loans but it covered only 30% of the affected. These last five years have been tough for farmers in the state as they claim to be hurt by its policies which did not increase the minimum support prices. Around 15,000 farmers marched from Nasik to Mumbai not once but twice in the last five years—asking the government for aid. In fact, in a shocking protest in 2017, the state’s farmers emptied milk onto the streets leaving the government red faced. The state has a new crime capital in Nagpur The state also has another problem that is ballooning—increasing crime in Nagpur. The constituency of the ruling chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has turned notorious for organized and unorganized crime. On an average, over 700 cases are registered in the city which shares a border with Madhya Pradesh. Apart from increased organized crime and racketeering, the city has also<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/cops-got-cracking-to-remove-nagpurs-crime-capital-tag/articleshow/71283462.cms"> turned infamous</a> for prostitution, murder and attempted murder cases, amongst others. Fadnavis has been trying to turn around the extensive crime using stringent laws against anti-social elements. This started in 2015, but there has only been a slight change in the number of crimes. Mumbai’s creaky infrastructure Mumbai and its suburbs too have been many burning problems for which India the opposition provided only lip service to. The repeated lack of preparation leading to loss of lives during flood, which is a predictable annual occurrence in the city, has been a major source of discontent. The city’s commute has worsened in the last few years as metro and other construction have weighed only the already-snaking traffic. Even if one were to look at it as a temporary pain towards a better, it does not help that even the roads are filled with potholes. The Aarey Colony mess As the state approved the chopping of over 2,000 trees for the construction of a metro car shed at Aarey colony, a large citizen protest ensued but never turned into the poll issue it could have been. The protesting citizens were defeated in a court case and it sure left a bad aftertaste for those who detested the chopping of trees amidst a rising awareness around the terrible impact on the environment it would have. The protests were also diluted by a large number of people who came in support of the metro car shed as it would make commuting easier for millions of Mumbaikars. The opposition parties were conspicuous in their absence on ground over the issue and thus, it never took a political dimension. The dynasty debut The issues which find a pulse with young voters could have been handled by a young politician <a href="https://scroll.in/article/940621/behind-the-aditya-thackeray-campaign-in-mumbai-is-the-quiet-work-done-by-another-shiv-sainik">like Aditya Thackeray </a>from the state’s most-popular political family. But, seven years after the demise of the charismatic Bala Saheb Thackeray, his successors, including Aditya’s father Uddhav, have lacked Bala Saheb’s gravitas. Instead, Aditya got ridiculed for sporting a lungi, a South Indian attire, as his detractors cited his grandfather’s attacks on South Indian migrants a few decades. He was also caught on the wrong foot endorsing the <a href="https://rajkaran.com/aadtiya-thackeray-gets-trolled-for-his-mumbai-best-aahe-tweet/">BEST bus service</a>, and his refusal to address issues like a toddler <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/mumbai-news/video-shows-rescue-operation-of-mumbai-boy-who-fell-in-drain-2-days-ago-2068380">slipping down the </a>drain--did not go down well with the electorate. An acid test for the BJP government The politicians of the ruling party which is the BJP and Shiv Sena combine, seem to be taking it slow on campaigning this year. In fact, the CM Fadnavis also said that there is no<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/pehelwans-panzies-and-nikammas-maharashtra-elections-rallies-keep-the-drama-high/articleshow/71610174.cms"> pehelwan or a great opponent</a> this time. A lot more believe that this state election is a foregone conclusion mostly because the Parliamentary elections in April and May this year have shown that there is a strong BJP wave. Yet, a lot has changed since Modi came to power the second time. For one, the economic slowdown has become a grim reality and painful reality—which the central government has been slow to react to. Maharashtra’s election outcomes often mirror the general elections that have preceded them in recent years but surprises are born out of complacency. But for that, there has to be a credible intent, palpable energy, and effective communication from the opposition.

Maharashtra state elections 2019: These are the issues the opposition could have capitalised on but didn’t

NEW DELHI: BJP faces a tough test in Bihar, <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> stares at a saffron challenge in Maharashtra and regional outfits contend with turning pitches on 117 <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> seats across 11 states and one union territory where polling is due on Thursday. 
 
The 2014 Lok Sabha polls will be more than half over after elections to 347 seats are complete after the sixth phase of voting, with the 84, 91 and 41 seats left in the remaining phases. 
 
BJP and Congress are squaring off in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and state bosses like Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, AIADMK's J Jayalalitha and NCP leader Sharad Pawar are also slugging it out with their rivals. 
 
This phase will settle the fate of political biggies like SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj besides others like PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, DMK's A Raja and Congress’s Mohammad Azharuddin. 
 
The political topography is a challenge to BJP and Congress which need to defend turfs while seeking fresh gains even as regional forces like SP, BSP, AIADMK and DMK look to do much the same, with the difference that some now see BJP as an unanticipated threat. 
 
All of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat of Puducherry will go to polls while elections will be over in major states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. In Maharashtra the populous bell weather Mumbai-Thane-Kalyan belt will vote along with northern areas and Raigad. 
 The contests in Mumbai are keen, with Shiv Sena-BJP hoping to snatch seats from Congress-NCP riding on an anti-UPA wave and the diminished presence of <keyword id="6355257" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Raj-Thackeray">Raj Thackeray</keyword>'s MNS. 
 
 
 
 
Tamil Nadu is a fascinating mosaic, with front runner AIADMK losing some steam while DMK reportedly making a comeback of sorts and BJP’s unlikely alliance with DMDK, MDMK and PMK emerging as a force on its own. 
 In Bihar, a virtual eclipse of <keyword id="123462" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Janata-Dal">Janata Dal</keyword> (U) poses problems for BJP with the fight appearing bi-polar in the five seats in Seemanchal and two that fall outside the region. There is a sizeable Muslim population in all seats and though BJP has been winning Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Bhagalpur, it now faces elections on its own. RJD boss Lalu Prasad and Congress seem to be back in the reckoning in the state. 
 
Mulayam Singh Yadav defends his base of Etah-Mainpuri-Etawah, areas where he must score to check a resurgent BJP with reports from 21 seats in western UP and Rohilkhand indicating gains for the saffronites. 
 
Though support for BSP is harder to gauge, SP’s main regional rival seems to be feeling the heat with religious polarisation post Muzaffarnagar riots making several contests primarily BJP versus SP affairs. 
 For BJP, the stakes continue to be high with its prime ministerial candidate <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> campaigning hard, addressing rallies in Hardoi, Etah, Firozabad and Mathura on Monday hoping for significant gains. 
 
The Jat vote is a factor in just as Yadavs are expected to rally behind SP while Akbarpur has sent BSP chief Mayawati to Lok Saba twice, most recently in 2004. 
 
In Rajasthan, prestigious Jat-influenced seats like Alwar and Bharatpur are due to poll along with constituencies like Tonk, Dausa and Sawai-Madhopur. 
 
In Chhattisgarh, urbanising seats like Durg, Raipur and Bilaspur will be voting with Congress hoping to loosen BJP's seeming stranglehold. 
 In West Bengal, Abhijeet Mukherjee, son of President <keyword id="6359124" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Pranab-Mukherjee">Pranab Mukherjee</keyword>, is facing an uphill battle, with Murshidabad presenting the only bright spot for the party. 
 In Assam constituencies like Kokrajhar, that witnessed fierce rioting, and capital Guwahati are going to polls. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP veterans like Sumitra Mahajan (Indore) and Sushma Swaraj (Vidisha) will seek re-election besides Congress's Meenakshi Natarajan, seen to be close to <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>, from Mandsaur.

Lok Sabha Polls: Voting In 117 Seats Today; Congress Faces Saffron Challenge

This Sunday, another cyclone – cyclone Modi – hit Maharashtra and Haryana, causing more devastation than any other cyclone ever registered in the political circle. Cyclone Modi inflicted massive damage to every party that came in its way, especially the Congress. 
 
In Maharashtra, the BJP and its allies won 123 seats out of 288, which is a massive gain of 75 seats. In Haryana, the BJP won 47 seats out of 90, which is an increase of unprecedented 43 seats. Notably, Congress was reduced to the third spot in both the states, winning just 42 and 15 seats in Maharashtra and Haryana, respectively. 
 In the last 25 years since entering into an alliance with <keyword id="6358821" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword>, the BJP had never contested elections in any of the 150 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra. As a result, it did not have a strong organisational structure in these constituencies. In Haryana too, the party had similar constraints. In fact, BJP candidates had forfeited their deposits in 75 out of the 90 seats in 2009 election. Moreover, it did not have any strong local leader in either of the states. But cyclone Modi propelled the BJP to majority in Haryana and made it the single-largest party in Maharashtra. Hence, it won’t be an exaggeration to attribute this performance solely to the Modi cyclone, just like it happened way back during the days of Indira Gandhi, when people, influenced by her charismatic personality, used to cast their votes in her name. 
 Apart from the face value of <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>, the backroom strategy of BJP chief Amit Shah, too, played a crucial role, especially in Haryana. The consolidation of non-Jat votes contributed immensely in the victory, where Shah deputed Dalit MPs to spend days and nights in Dalit bastis. He himself campaigned extensively in the state, especially in the eastern region, where BJP won most of the seats. 
 In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, which broke up with the BJP last month, emerged as the second-largest party by winning 63 seats. Fearing marginalisation after NCP’s offer of unconditional support to the BJP, Shiv Sena is now talking about forgetting the past and working together with its former ally. The Hyderabad-based <keyword id="140990" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen">Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen</keyword> (MIM), too, sprung a surprise, winning two seats on its debut. On the other hand, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was fully decimated and it could barely manage to open its account by winning just a single seat. 
 
Whatever the critics have said in the past can be put to rest now. Modi is here to stay and the people are speaking, rather voting for him. With more states under the BJP government, the Modi-run central and state governments can quickly table reforms and policies. There are three more state elections in lurks starting with Delhi. Chances are high that the BJP government will clean sweep the next state election wave as well.

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Maharashtra state elections 2019: These are the issues the opposition could have capitalised on but didn’t

Katya Naidu

Lok Sabha Polls: Voting In 117 Seats Today; Congress Faces Saffron Challenge

Times Of India

Cyclone Modi Hits Maharashtra, Haryana; Flattens Congress

Manish Kumar

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