Poll schedule baffles party workers

Congress sources said it was not expected that the assembly polls would be held along with Lok Sabha polls. However, the party workers said that it cannot be construed that the political atmosphere is favourable to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. The situation will change at the eleventh hour and there will be straight fights between the two Congress parties, the party workers believe.

Congress sources claimed that the simultaneous polls would not help the alliance. It is said that a large number of youths are expected to support the NCP. It is said that the Shiv Sena is facing problems in Mumbai although its prospects are slightly better in the Konkan region. The party workers expressed surprise as to how Balasaheb Thackeray who was opposed to holding simultaneous elections had later conceded to hold both the elections together.

The Congress workers believe that the Lok Sabha polls will lead to a hung parliament and that the NCP will not win more than 10 to 12 Lok Sabha seats in the state. It is felt that after the polls, the NCP will support the BJP at the Centre and this will lead to the BJP snapping its ties with the Shiv Sena in the State.

The NCP workers, however, believe that the split in the Congress will not benefit the saffron alliance and claim that ultimately the NCP will emerge victorious. They said that the Congress does not have candidates who can ensure victory for the party.

The BJP has now undertaken a campaign to make its party workers aware of the achievements of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government in the State.

Accordingly, the party has planned to organise workshops of its party workers. At these workshops party’s ministers will brief the participants of the work done by the government.

The BJP leadership has realised that it is impossible to win the elections unless its party workers are filled with confidence. While attacking the alliance government, the opposition Congress party had systematically demoralised the alliance party workers. Now, the BJP has prepared a plan to counter the propaganda of the opposition. It has also planned to involve the party workers in the decision-making process.

Since the elections are being conducted during the monsoon, all the parties will have to work hard to reach out to the voters, especially farmers, and ensure that maximum number of persons turn out for voting. Since both assembly and Lok Sabha polls are being held together, money will be saved. However as BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting the elections on different election symbols, it will be hard for the alliance to impress on the voters their symbols. This is for the first time that both assembly and Lok Sabha polls are being held together in the state.