New Delhi:

At Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, preparations for the grand swearing-in ceremony for Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister are in full swing. A stage is being erected and a gallery is coming up, but who will take oath remains a question.

Leaders of the three parties in BJP-led Mahayuti, which scored a mammoth win in these state polls, are yet to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake claim to form the government. In fact, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar are in different cities today. While Mr Fadnavis is in Mumbai, Mr Shinde is unwell and recovering in Thane. Mr Pawar is in Delhi for what he has termed a personal visit.

The BJP legislature party will meet at Vidhan Bhavan this morning during which party MLAs are expected to choose their leader. While Mr Fadnavis is seen as a frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, the delay in the BJP announcing its choice for the top post has given room to speculation. The three leaders of Mahayuti are likely to meet after the BJP MLAs’ meeting. A meeting with the Governor is expected tomorrow, on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony.

Sena Playing Hardball?

While Mr Shinde has publicly said that he won’t be an obstacle in government formation and that he has left the final decision on the Chief Minister post on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, his repeated absence from Mumbai in the run-up to the big day has sparked a buzz. Days back, the Sena chief was in his hometown Satara. He then said he needed a breather after the tiring election campaign. Now he is in Thane and is reportedly unwell. He is attending meetings virtually.

Amid the continuing suspense, Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said the Assembly polls were fought under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and it is up to the BJP to maintain his stature. “Our leader has already proven who truly represents the Shiv Sena. Now it is up to Delhi (BJP central leadership) to decide how to maintain his stature. We will not interfere in that decision,” Mr Kesarkar has said.

He also said Mr Shinde is not responsible for the delay. “The BJP’s internal selection process is their matter. Shinde has already conveyed that he will accept their decision.” Mr Kesarkar trashed reports of any discord within the Mahayuti. “Three parties working together require discussions. This is normal. It does not mean anyone is upset. Shinde is not unhappy, and the alliance is firmly united,” he said, according to a PTI report.

This morning, however, Sena leader Sanjay Sirsat said that Mr Shinde will decide by tomorrow if he will be part of the Mahayuti government. The Sena, it is learnt, is pushing for the Home portfolio but the BJP has not accepted the demand.

Opposition’s “Insult To Maharashtra” Pitch

With the Mahayuti not announcing its Chief Minister choice 10 days after the election results, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray has said the delay amounts to insulting Maharashtra. In a Marathi tweet, Mr Thackeray said, “Despite this numerical strength, they have not yet been able to form a government in Maharashtra; Because our state of Maharashtra is not important to them Ignore Maharashtra, continuously insult Maharashtra and keep government formation pending… They have time to do all other things but for Delhi our Maharashtra, our state is not important,” he said.

In a massive mandate, the Mahayuti has won 230 seats in the 288-member Assembly. The BJP, with 132 seats, has decided to claim the Chief Minister post. Shiv Sena has won 57 and Ajit Pawar’s NCP has scored 41.

The Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi, which had outperformed the Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha election months ago, was routed in the state polls and managed just 46 seats between them.

The Opposition has alleged EVM tampering and demanded a return to ballot voting. The BJP has junked these claims, saying that the Opposition always raises this when they lose. The Election Commission, meanwhile, has warned that anyone spreading falsehood about EVMs will face action.

Mumbai:

The sweep of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra has been widely attributed to the welfare programmes of the Eknath Shinde government. But a key factor has been the split in Muslim vote which has delivered a chunk of the state’s 38 seats to the ruling alliance. The Muslim population is more than 20 per cent in these 38 seats, making a key difference in the outcome of the election. Over all, the ruling alliance has won 22 of these 38 seats, way ahead of the 13 won by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.

The split in votes has hit the Congress hard – the party’s score has dropped from 11 to five. The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena Uddhav has got six seats and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction got two.

Of the 38 seats, the BJP has increased its tally from 11 in 2019 to 14. The Shiv Sena of Eknath Shinde has won six seats and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party two seats.

Of the remaining three seats, Samajwadi Party got two and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM got just one.

The outcome indicates that the clerics failed to dominate the collective decision of the Muslim community – a situation that helped the BJP strengthen its allegations of “vote jihad” or consolidation of Muslim votes against the Mahayuti.

Denying Opposition allegations of polarisation, senior BJP leader Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said all communities are included in the slogan “Ek hain toh safe hain”. “People did not fall prey to the politics of appeasement and polarisation of the MVA, and came together to vote for development. All communities are included in our ‘Ek hain toh safe hain’ mantra,” he said.

“There was no place for appeasement, people here look at development and benefits,” said Salim Sarang, the president of the Muslim Welfare Association.

Among the big Muslim names who lost were NCP’s Nawab Malik and Zeeshan Siddiqui as well as Congress’s Arif Naseem Khan.

Data indicates that while the support of the Muslim community helped the MVA win a big victory in the Lok Sabha election held in May, what went against them in the Assembly polls were low enthusiasm, divided votes and communal polarization in some seats. In some seats, the presence of multiple Muslim candidates split votes.

For instance, in Aurangabad East, AIMIM state chief and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel lost to the BJP’s Atul Save by 2,161 votes. VBA’s Afsar Khan (6,507 votes) and SP’s Abdul Gaffar Syed (5,943 votes) split the Muslim vote in the seat, ensuring Jaleel’s defeat.

The only seat AIMIM won was in Muslim-dominated Malegaon Central, where its candidate Mufti Ismail, the sitting MLA, won by just 162 votes-the lowest margin in the state.

Meanwhile, in Bhiwandi West, Mahesh Chaugule of the BJP defeated Riyaz Azmi of the SP by 31,293 votes as Muslims also divided their votes between AIMIM’s Waris Pathan (15,800 votes) and Independent Vilas Patil (31,579 votes).
 

Mumbai:

It has been two days since the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP scored a massive victory in the Maharashtra election, but there is no clarity on when the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will be held. The reason is a big question: who will the Chief Minister?

While BJP leaders would want Devendra Fadnavis to get the top because of the party’s huge contribution in Mahayuti’s mammoth score, their Sena counterparts would want the Chief Minister post to stay with Mr Shinde, arguing that his government’s policies helped the Mahayuti return to power. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, sources said, may support Mr Fadnavis for the top post, tilting the scales in favour of the BJP. 

Of the 232 seats won by the Mahayuti, 132 are with BJP, 57 with Shiv Sena and 41 with the NCP. The leaders of the three parties have said they will sit together and take a decision on the Chief Minister face. The MLAs of the Sena and NCP have elected Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar as their legislature party leader. At the Sena MLAs’ meeting, slogans were raised in demand of Mr Shinde as the Chief Minister.

Mr Fadnavis, Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar are likely to fly to Delhi today to hold meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Discussions on rotational Chief Ministership may also be held, it is learnt. 

The Case Of Devendra Fadnavis

The tallest BJP leader in the state and a former Chief Minister, Mr Fadnavis is the frontrunner for the Chief Minister post. The BJP leader, who served in the Eknath Shinde government as a Deputy Chief Minister, is among the key architects of the BJP’s stunning strike rate in winning 132 out of the 148 seats it contested. Mr Fadnavis had agreed to play Number 2 in the government, albeit reluctantly, after the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion split the Shiv Sena and brought down the Uddhav Thackeray government despite the BJP holding more numbers in the ruling coalition. BJP leaders, therefore, feel he must now get his due. According to reports, BJP leaders are also against any rotational formula for the top post and want Mr Fadnavis as Chief Minister for five years.

Will Eknath Shinde Accept?

Mr Shinde, it is learnt, is reluctant to vacate the Chief Minister post as Sena leaders claim it is his government’s policies, including Ladki Bahin, which paved the way for the Mahayuti victory. Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar told the media, “Shiv Sena MLAs feel Shinde should continue in the post because under his leadership the Mahayuti worked very well and performed spectacularly in polls.” He added that Mr Shinde, Mr Fadnavis and Mr Pawar will take a unanimous decision on the issue and it will be in Maharashtra’s interest.

Giving up the Chief Minister post will also expose Mr Shinde to a scathing attack from his former boss and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Mr Thackeray has already said that Mr Shinde would have to “work under Fadnavis”. So, the Shiv Sena chief would be looking to stay on to win the perception battle and show he is still in charge.

The Number Game

Despite scoring a mammoth win, the BJP is 14 short of a majority in the 288-member Assembly. But its tally of 132 has ensured that it needs only one of its allies to form the government. This leaves Eknath Shinde with few bargaining chips to push for the top role as the BJP can easily form the government with support from NCP. Against this backdrop, both the Sena and the NCP will be looking to make the most of the cabinet posts if the BJP insists on claiming the Chief Minister seat. The BJP’s national leadership is now brainstorming on the Chief Minister choice with an eye on long-term ramifications and organisational impact. 

As the leaders travel to Delhi to meet the Home Minister, deliberations could also be held on a rotational formula for the top post. 

The opposition alliance suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Maharashtra. But what could add insult to this injury is if the figures remain more or less the same till the last round of counting in all the seats as then no party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi or MVA – Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) – will be eligible for the post of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the newly elected Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

A party with 10 percent of the 288 seats or 29 seats can claim the post. However, all of the MVA parties are at the moment falling short of the mark, as per the legislative rules.

According to the latest Election Commission figures at 6pm, the Shiv Sena (UBT) won 13 seats and was leading in 7, Congress won 6 and was ahead in 9 while NCP (SP) bagged six seats and was leading in 4.

Even though the opposition alliance will achieve the required number if all their winning seats were added but the combined strength of parties is not considered for the post of the Leader of Opposition, as per the rules.

So, given the current circumstances, the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly may function without the LoP, similar to the 16th Lok Sabha which did not have a Leader of Opposition. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim also don’t have anyone in the post because of the lack of opposition parties with at least 10 percent seats.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition appears to retain Maharashtra with their spectacular performance, posting a stunning comeback after the Lok Sabha debacle earlier this year.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance has either won or is leading in 231 of the 288 seats.

The BJP has so far won 67 seats and is leading in 66, the Shiv Sena has won 35 and is ahead in 22 seats, while the NCP has won 28 and is leading in 13 seats, as per the latest Election Commission figures.

The results have come as a setback for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray as the assembly elections followed splits in their parties. The Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde rebelled against the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray bringing down his government while Mr Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar walked away to join the ruling alliance in 2023.

Since then, the factions have been in a bitter battle for supremacy.

After the results, termed “historic” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several others in the BJP and its alliance partners, the buzzing question is who would be the Chief Minister.

Even as many are rooting for deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for the top post, both he and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have maintained that all parties will meet and decide who the leader will be.

Mumbai:

Even before the first votes are counted in Maharashtra, fissures have emerged within the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on who will head the next government with constituents in both camps laying claim over the chief minister’s post.

After polling for the 288-member assembly ended on Wednesday evening, the ruling as well as opposition fronts started claiming that mandate will be in their favour when votes are counted on November 23.

Soon after polling, state Congress chief Nana Patole asserted a MVA government will be formed in Maharashtra under the leadership of his party.

Voting trends suggest the Congress will get the maximum number of seats in the new assembly, he said.

His remarks did not go down well with ally Shiv Sena (UBT), whose leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday insisted the chief ministerial face will be decided by all alliance partners jointly once the MVA secures a majority.

The Rajya Sabha MP said if the Congress high command has told Patole that he will be the chief ministerial face then national party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge, and its top leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should announce the same.

The MVA, consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) and the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, have expressed confidence that their respective alliance will form the next government after votes are counted on Saturday.

While a majority of exit polls have predicted that the Mahayuti will retain power, a few have favoured the MVA.

On the Mahayuti side, Shiv Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said the assembly elections were contested with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the face.

“Voters have shown their preference for Shinde through voting. I think it is Shinde’s right (to be the next chief minister) and we are confident that he will be the next CM,” Mr Shirsat said.

BJP leader Pravin Darekar batted for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the top post.

“I think if anyone from the BJP is becoming the CM then it will be Devendra Fadnavis,” he said.

NCP leader Amol Mitkari pushed the name of his party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the coveted job.

“Whatever the results, the NCP will be the kingmaker,” Mr Mitkari said.

Asked about the Chief Ministerial face, Mr Fadnavis maintained all three Mahayuti parties will sit together and take a “good decision”.

Speaking to reporters separately, BJP leader Darekar claimed the Mahayuti will form the next government and dismissed the possibility of the MVA coming to power and said the opposition bloc was plagued by “internal rifts”.

“The people of Maharashtra have given a clear mandate. The Chief Minister will be from the Mahayuti, not the MVA, and certainly not the Congress,” he asserted.

Highlighting divisions within the MVA, Mr Darekar said, “Congress MP Praniti Shinde and her father and former CM Sushilkumar Shinde supported an independent candidate against Uddhav Thackeray’s nominee in a constituency in Solapur district. These internal rifts expose a lack of unity. How can parties without internal coherence decide on a Chief Minister?”

The BJP leader said Mr Patole’s aspirations to become chief minister was nothing but “mungerilal ke haseen sapne” (daydreaming).

On exit polls, Mr Darekar remarked, “While no exit poll is final, most have predicted a Mahayuti win. Even independent candidates (on winning) are likely to back Mahayuti.”

Taking a swipe at Prahar Janshakti Party leader Bachchu Kadu, he said, “Kadu speaks with grand bravado, but his own seat is under threat. Let him first declare how many of his candidates are winning.”

Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s statements on the Adani group, the BJP leader quipped, “Rahul Gandhi should go to the US and focus on issues abroad, where his commentary might hold weight. His remarks on the fall of the Union government are childish and baseless.”

On alleged involvement of NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule and Mr Patole in using bitcoins illegally to fund elections, Mr Darekar said the truth will come out soon.

Both Ms Sule and Mr Patole have denied the allegations.

“The ED’s investigation is uncovering links to MVA leaders. The truth will emerge soon,” he asserted.

Highlighting increase in turnout in the November 20 assembly polls in the state, Mr Darekar credited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for their grassroots campaign to encourage voting.

He maintained the Mahayuti government’s ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’ has resonated with women voters. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

On the Maha Vikas Agahdi’s side, Congress Maharashtra chief Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, Congress leader and ex-Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, will discuss the MVA’s tussle for Chief Minister candidate, battlegrounds Baramati, Mumbai and common minimum programme for the MVA. Representing the farmers of Maharashtra, All India Kisan Sabha National President Ashok Dhawale will speak on the poll issues plaguing the community.

Mumbai:

The assembly election in Maharashtra this year has gone off script, with no clarity on which party is contesting how many seats in the ruling alliance or the opposition front. On the eve of the last day of filing of nominations, decision on nine seats in the ruling alliance is yet to be announced.

The image on the other side is even more blurred. The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which made headlines for weeks over its tussle over seat sharing, is yet to provide a final frame. The alliance has already gone past the 85-85-95 seat sharing and announced disparate number of seats.

Even so, there has been no announcement on 16 seats, while its other allies, including Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, wait in the wings.

In the ruling alliance, the BJP, which initially said it would contest on 150 seats, announced that they would contest on 146, leaving four seats for smaller allies — the Yuva Swabhiman Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Republican Party of India (Athavale) and Jan Surajya Shakti Paksha.

But two of its members have made an appearance on the list of the Shiv Sena of Eknath Shinde — party spokesperson Shaina NC from Mumbadevi and Amol Khatal, who is the candidate for Sangamner.

That leaves 138 seats to the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar faction.

The Shinde faction, which earlier announced 65 candidates, announced 15 more tonight, including Shaina NC, taking its total to 80. Like the BJP, the Sena has also given two seats out of its share to smaller parties — one each to the Jan Suraj Party and the Rajashri Shahuprakash Aghadi.

Of the 58 seats presumably left to Ajit Pawar, 49 candidates have been announced.

In the MVA, the Congress has already announced 103 candidates, the Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena 87 and the NCP of Sharad Pawar 82 seats – taking the total to 272 of the state’s 288 seats.

The delay and indecision only underscores the premium placed on Maharashtra and this election, which is expected to be a referendum on the last several years of political upheaval in the state.

Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha, is next only importance to Uttar Pradesh, which, with 80 lower house seats, is seen as the Gateway to Delhi.

Over the last two years, the state has been rocked by massive political turmoil —  the split in Shiv Sena, the collapse of the MVA government and the passing of the reins of power to the BJP and the rebel faction of the Sena. It was followed by the split in the Nationalist Congress party of Sharad Pawar and the rebel faction led by Ajit Pawar joining the ruling coalition.

Part of the repercussion has been felt by the BJP and its allies in the Lok Sabha election earlier this year.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi had won 30 of the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats, the ruling alliance won 17. One seat went to an Independent. The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena won nine seats, ahead of the 7 won by Mr Shinde’s faction.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) scooped up eight seats, compared to the one won by Ajit Pawar’s party. The biggest winner was the Congress, which went up from one seat to 13, bringing the BJP down to nine seats from 23.

Mumbai:

‘Vote jihad’ and fake narratives will not work in the upcoming Maharashtra election and the Mahayuti alliance will return to power after the November 20 polls, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.

Mr Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, spoke at NDTV Marathi’s Jahirnama event which saw the biggest newsmakers in Maharashtra politics share their insights on the upcoming election.

“Vote jihad was the real (factor) in Lok Sabha election. People from a particular community voted against the BJP. The aim was to remove Modi. It will not work this time,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance won just 17 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) put up a stellar show.

In a separate interaction with NDTV’s editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Fadnavis said the Maharashtra voter does not give fragmented verdicts. “During the Lok Sabha election, Maha Vikas Aghadi created a fake narrative. We have countered it with a straight narrative. Now people know they lied. They said (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji would come and change the Constitution and end reservation. So, people voted for Rahul Gandhi and MVA. And Rahul Gandhi went abroad and said the need for reservation is declining and they will end it. Their lies have died and our truth is out. So we will be elected,” he said.

The BJP leader was referring to Mr Gandhi’s remark during his recent visit to the US during which he said, “We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place and India is not a fair place.” The remark sparked a massive row back home, with the BJP slamming the Congress leader and saying it would not allow reservations to be scrapped.

On the Dalit vote factor in Maharashtra polls, Mr Fadnavis said, “Dalit voter is important. But, in a large state like Maharashtra, no single community can decide the election. The Dalit voter had gone away from us due to fake narratives in the Lok Sabha election, but they have returned.”

A ‘Roko’ Barb At Rivals

Taking a swipe at Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, Mr Fadnavis said they were just interested in roko — meaning stop. “If there is discussion on development, I bet our rivals won’t be able to participate. Because they always worked to stop (projects) — bullet train roko, Metro roko, Mahamarg, Atal Setu roko, airport roko. Our work is thoko – finish work and progress,” he said.

Mr Fadnavis also criticised a section of the media, saying that they are more interested in focusing on political leaders’ barbs against each other instead of development initiatives.

On the Eknath Shinde government’s development agenda, Mr Fadnavis said a river-linking project aimed at making Maharashtra drought-free is in the works. “We will have Vadhavan Port in the next few years. It will put India on the global maritime map. It will not only help Maharashtra in its economic growth but also become a growth engine for India.”

Sanjay Raut’s ‘Vote Jihad’ Swipe

Earlier in the day, Mr Raut responded to the BJP’s Vote Jihad offensive. “Fadnavis should explain what is vote jihad. Wasn’t it a vote jihad when Muslim votes went to Modi in 2019? When you get Muslim votes, it is not vote jihad and when the same votes come to the Congress or us, it is vote jihad?” Mr Raut said at the NDTV event.

The term ‘vote jihad’ became a talking point during the Lok Sabha polls when Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam asked Muslim voters to wage “vote jihad” against the BJP.

Prime Minister Modi had targeted the INDIA Opposition bloc over the remark and said, “Terrorists in Pakistan are threatening jihad against India. And here, those in Congress have also announced vote jihad against Modi, which means people of a particular religion are being asked to vote unitedly against Modi. Imagine what level the Congress has stooped to. Do you agree with Vote Jihad? In a democracy, can it be done? Does our constitution allow this kind of Jihad?” he had said.

Targeting the Mahayuti alliance, Mr Raut said, “These people have mortgaged the pride of Maharashtra in Delhi. These people have disrespected the Marathi manoos.”

New Delhi:

The leaders from Mahayuti – the ruling coalition in Maharashtra – met Union Home Minister Amit Shah last night to discuss the seat-sharing plan ahead of the state Assembly elections scheduled next month.

The late-night meeting between Mr Shah and the Mahayuti leaders came at a time when the talks were at a crucial juncture. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from the BJP met Mr Shah in Delhi.

The Home Minister also had a one-on-one conversation with Mr Shinde on the sidelines of the NDA Chief Ministers’ meeting – chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – in Chandigarh.

Sources told NDTV that BJP, which is the single-largest party in the Maharashtra Assembly with 105 seats, is expected to be the “big brother” in the seat-sharing plan, contesting on at least 155 seats of the total 288 seats and the remaining will be shared between Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The Big Challenge

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are seeking to retain power in the November 20 state Assembly polls.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mahayuti won just 17 of the state’s 48 constituencies while the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s tally was 30. The Assembly elections were, thus, seen as an uphill battle for the Mahayuti but appear to have been made easier by the results of the polls in Haryana, where the BJP formed a government – delivering its best-ever performance in the state – despite battling anti-incumbency after two straight terms in power.

The last election in 2019 was a fairly straightforward battle between the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena coalition on the one hand and the Congress-NCP alliance on the other. Several political developments have taken place since the last election.

In 2022, Eknath Shinde led a rebellion and split the Shiv Sena into two, with a majority of MLAs supporting his leadership over Uddhav Thackeray’s. He formed a government with the BJP and took oath as the Chief Minister. He is backed by 40 MLAs.

A year later, a similar political crisis took place in the state when Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar led a rebellion along with other leaders and broke away from NCP led by his uncle. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP allied with the ruling coalition, forming the Mahyuti.

What About MVA

Meanwhile, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – the Opposition alliance in Maharashtra – has firmed up seat sharing on 263 of the state’s 288 Assembly constituencies, sources have told NDTV on Thursday.

A meeting of alliance partners Congress, the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena was held on Thursday and good progress was made in seat-sharing discussions, the sources said. The meeting was attended by Congress Maharashtra President Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leaders Jitendra Awhad, Jayant Patil and Anil Deshmukh, among others.

The remaining 25 seats which remain disputed include five of the 36 Assembly constituencies in Mumbai, including Kurla, Dharavi, Versova and Byculla. The sources said the list of finalised and disputed segments will be sent to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the heads of the other two coalition partners, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, who will take a final decision in “two to three days”.

Elections in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20 and votes will be counted three days later on November 23. 

Mumbai:

Fissures have emerged in Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti over the ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’ with a Shiv Sena minister raising objection against ally NCP and its president Ajit Pawar for “omitting” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s name from advertisements and promotional material of the scheme.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, state Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Shinde, expressed disappointment over Deputy Chief Minister Pawar virtually “hijacking” the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme, which offers a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women in the state.

He said not using the full name of the scheme during his (Mr Pawar’s) public outreach programmes was not as per protocol.

“The scheme has ‘Chief Minister’ in its name, and removing it from the scheme is inappropriate. It should not have been done,” Mr Desai alleged.

“It is a state government scheme and he (Mr Pawar) should have taken everyone along,” the Excise Minister said.

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections likely to be held in November, Ajit Pawar, who is also the state Finance Minister, last month launched his party’s ‘Jan Sanman Yatra’, a public outreach programme. Its narrative is focused on the benefits of the financial assistance provided under the Ladki Bahin and other schemes.

The advertisements and other promotional material used during the campaign, the NCP is seen mentioning the name of the scheme as just ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ instead of the full name ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme.

The Ajit Pawar camp has also released two videos in which the beneficiaries were shown thanking Ajit Pawar for the scheme.

The Ladki Bahin scheme was inspired by the Ladli Behana scheme launched in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls in that state.

The Ladki Bahin scheme was formally launched last month. Speaking during rallies, CM Shinde has promised that if the Mahayuti is elected to power again, it would double the amount of the scheme to Rs 3,000. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)