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Journalism of Courage
After two rounds of political battles last year to establish supremacy in Maharashtra, the tussle has become more intense during the ongoing civic polls across the state. Earlier, it was between the Mahayuti and MVA, but now it is for each party in both alliances to prove its respective strength.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis is leading the BJP’s efforts to show the party’s dominance in state politics, while the Shiv Sena, led by party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party, led by party chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, are also on the field to prove their respective party strength.
On the other hand, the MVA partners, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress are jointly contesting in most of the civic bodies under the leadership of local leaders.
The civic polls in the state are taking place at 246 Nagar Parishads and 42 Nagar Panchayats, with voting on December 2. The elections being held in rural and semi-urban areas of the state are likely to set the momentum for the forthcoming civic body elections in urban areas, including Mumbai.
The BJP, while clarifying that each of its alliance partners in Mahayuti was free to contest civic polls to strengthen their respective bases, said the alliance at the state and national levels will remain unaffected, as no one will take on each other publicly. However, in places where the primary contest is between the Mahayuti alliance partners, local leaders are going all out to take on one another.
During the election campaign, Fadanavis stated that as long as he is the chief minister, the Ladki Bahin scheme, Rs 1,500 per woman per month, will continue. The Shiv Sena was quick to jump on it with Shinde reminding that the scheme was started when he was the chief minister. “No one will be able to discontinue the scheme as long as he is in power,” said Shinde.
BJP minister Chandrakant Patil and state leader Sudhir Mungantiwar took on Ajit Pawar, also the finance minister, over seeking votes in the name of funding for different areas.
“Chief Minister is the final authority on the state budget,” said Patil, while Mungantiwar said that it is the BJP which is more efficient in doing good development work than the alliance partners, as the BJP is in power in the state and the Centre.
The legislators and MPs of the Mahayuti alliance were also reportedly seeking votes in their area, saying that if development is required, then the party candidate should be elected in civic body polls.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said he had never participated in civic polls, but the way they are being held is of concern. “There seems to be a race on seeking votes on assurance of providing funds rather than on development issues,” he said.
Sharad Pawar also said that decisions on pre-poll alliances are taken at the local level, so it was fine when it was limited to the civic polls.
Incidentally, the MVA partners are relying on their local leaders having influence in the district rather than touring across the state.
