Ad war erupts in Maharashtra as Mahayuti, MVA trade barbs on final day of campaigning

An all-out newspaper ad war has erupted between the ruling Mahayuti and rival Maha Vikas Aghadi just two days before the high-voltage assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Both parties published hard-hitting newspaper ads targetting each other on the final day of campaigning.

A full-page ad by Mahayuti features several newspaper headlines (in English, Hindi and Marathi) listing incidents that took place under the UPA rule, from the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to Bombay serial blasts to scam during Covid pandemic. The caption read: “MVA - Say no to Congress”.

Similarly, the MVA alliance of Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SP) released an advertisement highlighting what failures and corruption of the Mahayuti government in the form cartoons.

The ad lists issues such as hit-and-run incidents, rising crimes against women, unfulfilled promises, alleged corruption linked to Shivaji’s statue project, amongst other things. The caption read:

"Maha-Abhadra Yuti's Maha-Abhadra Rule - Enough of anti-Maharashtra governance, time to remove the Bhrashtyuti alliance," a play on the word Bhrashtyuti (with Bhrasht meaning corruption), mocking the Mahayuti alliance.

Campaigning for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly elections draws to a close on November 18. The single-phase polls will be held on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.

Maharashtra is witnessing a fierce clash between the Mahayuti comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction and the MVA, which includes Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction and Sharad Pawar's NCP faction.