Today in Politics: Maharashtra elections soon, PM Modi to announce projects

Kumar spoke of voter apathy in urban areas and singled out areas like Colaba and Kalyan in and around Mumbai which recorded “among the lowest” voter turnout in the Lok Sabha polls held this year.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch projects worth more than Rs 11,200 crore for Maharashtra through video-conferencing, a government press release notes.

The projects include the inauguration of a Pune Metro section, the Solapur airport, and the development of the Bidkin Industrial Area in the Marathwada region.

In 2019, the BJP-(combined) Shiv Sena alliance together won 161 of the 288 seats in the state Assembly. The alliance seemed poised to be in control, until it was not.

A one-month deadlock occurred amid an intensifying power struggle over the CM’s chair. With no government even 18 days after the declaration of the Assembly poll results, President’s rule was imposed in the state on November 12.

On November 23, President’s rule was revoked at dawn at 5.30 am. Hours later, Fadnavis was sworn in as Maharashtra CM and the (then combined) NCP’s Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM. The dramatic turnaround by Ajit Pawar would be followed by more U-turns.

The (combined) Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress went on to announce a partnership and moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Governor’s decision, and seeking an urgent hearing.

The apex court’s registry posted the matter for hearing the next day. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar was removed as the NCP party legislature unit head, but not from the party.

Two days later, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress combine held a show of strength at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, parading MLAs and claiming they had 162 on their side in a House of 288.

This is just the beginning of the twists and turns in Maharashtra politics. Over the next three years, the Shiv Sena split into two, Eknath Shinde became the CM, and the NCP also suffered a divide.

Now, there are two blocs in the fray — the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). NCP(Sharadchandra Pawar), and the Congress and the Mahayuti of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. The Lok Sabha elections earlier this year saw the MVA get an upper hand. Meanwhile, there are other internal issues within the alliances.

On Thursday, Ajit Pawar’s fellow Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the reason for the BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls was the NCP’s inability to transfer its votes to allies. It wasn’t the first time Ajit, whose NCP contested four seats and won one in the Lok Sabha polls, found himself being cornered within the Mahayuti. Two months ago, an article in the RSS-affiliated weekly Vivek stated that “workers of the BJP have not liked joining hands with the NCP”.

At the time, NCP chief spokesperson told The Indian Express: “Opinions expressed in any mouthpiece of the RSS do not necessarily reflect the mindset of the BJP or its leaders.”

Last leg of J&K campaign

On Sunday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will hold public meetings in Jasrota and Ramnagar. Jammu and Kashmir will vote in the final phase of the Union Territory’s elections on October 1.

With 40 seats going to polls, this is also the largest phase of these Assembly elections. In contrast to the first two phases, the bulk of the seats in the third phase are in the Jammu division. There are 24 seats in Jammu and 16 in Kashmir.

After eight Scheduled Tribe-reserved seats voted in the first two phases, the last ST seat – Gurez – will vote in the third phase. This phase will also see all of J&K’s seven Scheduled Caste-reserved seats vote, including Akhnoor, Bishnah, Kathua, Marh, Ramgarh, Ramnagar, and Suchetgarh, all located in the Jammu division.

— With PTI inputs