© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s national president J P Nadda with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his two-day Maharashtra visit recently seems to have galvanised the Shinde-BJP government, resulting in the CM’s pre-monsoon inspection tours of Mumbai and Thane, advertisement blitz for several welfare schemes and the inauguration of various infrastructure projects amid fanfare.
Nadda’s meeting with CM Shinde at his official residence “Varsha” on May 17, which kept the focus on the 2024 general elections, was meant to provide a reality check to the latter and his party, sources in the Shinde Sena said.
Underlining the significance of Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections — the state accounts for 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, the second-highest seats tally after Uttar Pradesh — Nadda discussed with Shinde their coalition’s preparations for the 2024 polls amid the BJP’s apprehension that the Shinde Sena might be the “weak link” in their bid to get “40-plus seats” in the state, sources said.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP along with its then ally, the Uddhav Thackeray-led undivided Shiv Sena, won 41 seats in Maharashtra.
Despite a changed political situation in 2023, where the BJP is facing stiff competition in states like Karnataka, West Bengal and Bihar, the party is looking to repeat its performance in 2024 in Maharashtra. However, a united Opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising of the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), may put up a formidable hurdle to the BJP’s renewed attempt to repeat its coalition’s 2019 performance. The MVA partners have already begun their seat-sharing talks for the 2024 polls.
Sources said Nadda’s meeting with Shinde seemed to be the push that prompted the CM to subsequently hold a meeting with his MPs to discuss the 2024 preparations. Shinde also asked his MPs to roll out outreach programmes in their respective constituencies to “showcase the accomplishments of the Modi government during its nine-year tenure so far”.
“The BJP has already started identifying its seats. It expects Shinde Sena to start gearing up for the elections by focusing on ways and means to win the perception battle,” an insider told The Indian Express. The BJP has been concerned over perception that the Shinde Sena has been losing out to the Uddhav Sena in the battle of narratives. Stung by such reports, it has moved to get Shinde stirred into action.
Over the last few days, the Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has sought to go all out to publicise its scheme “Shasan Aaplya Dari (government at your doorstep)”. Under this programme, the state government has aimed to provide direct benefits to the needy and ensure smooth supply of government services to the citizens.
The Shinde government has now also launched a new web portal, Mahalabharthi, where the list of all schemes to which a person is eligible for will be made available along with addresses of the government offices concerned. Senior administration officials, such as the district collector and municipal commissioner, will be held responsible for the effective delivery of such welfare services to the citizens.
In the past few days the government has also launched various infra projects, including the second phase of Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway as well as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). Three days ago, it announced the decision to allot homes to slum-dwellers for just Rs 2.5 lakh per house.
The BJP recently lost Karnataka, where the Congress won the Assembly polls with a thumping majority. To avoid its repeat in Maharashtra, sources said, the BJP wants the Shinde Sena to get its act together. “MVA can level allegations at our government. But the point remains that eventually these allegations would not matter if the government ensures the delivery of various services effectively. So, we are working on that front,” a Shinde Sena leader said.
