Maharashtra, Jharkhand vote tomorrow: BJP’s bid for regional dominance, make or break for Opposition - What’s at stake for whom

The elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand will determine the national discourse for the BJP. (File photo:PTI)

The stage is set for voting to be held in 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra and the remaining 33 Assembly seats in the second phase of Jharkhand elections on Wednesday, November 20. The elections come as a big test not just for regional satraps in either state but will also shape the national narrative for the Opposition as well as the ruling alliance in the country.

On one hand, a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance in Maharashtra or Jharkhand will set the ruling government, languishing under the burden of its below-par performance in the Lok Sabha elections, back on track.

On the other, a victory in either state will bring back the momentum for the Opposition INDIA bloc and prove that the setback in Haryana was an aberration while the broader sentiment remained in its favour.

Crucially, the elections will not only decide whether Brand Modi has withstood the test of time, it will also determine whether the Dalits and OBCs, who have been key to the BJP’s victory at the Centre and in several states, have returned to its fold after ditching the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra Assembly elections: A test for the satraps

The elections in Maharashtra come after a tumultuous five years that saw some tectonic shifts in its political landscape. The election this year will see two new regional players in the fray, including the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena as well as the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.

While 37 seats will see the NCP factions square off against each other, there are 51 seats where candidates from the Sena factions will be locked in a direct contest.

The stakes could not be higher for a number of regional heavyweights like Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray and deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The two Pawars, Shinde and Thackeray are engaged in an intense and riveting battle to seek popular legitimacy for their parties. The outcome could well mark the end of the road for at least two of them.

While Sharad Pawar will be hoping to deal nephew Ajit a knockout punch, Ajit Pawar would hope to emerge from the shadow of the Lok Sabha loss and bounce back. The Shiv Sena battle, however, could prove to be far more interesting as the two factions battle it out to determine their hold over Mumbai and prove themselves as the true claimants to the legacy of Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. In the opposition alliance, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and the NCP (SP) 86.

Jharkhand Elections Phase 2: Voting tomorrow

The elections pit the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led INDIA bloc against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in a closely fought contest. The first phase of polling was held on November 13. A total of 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third-gender voters, are eligible to vote in this phase across 14,218 polling stations set up by the Election Commission of India.

Voting will begin at 7 am and continue until 5 pm. However, at 31 booths, voting will conclude at 4 pm, although voters standing in line by then will still be allowed to cast their votes. Special measures have been taken to enhance inclusivity, with 239 polling stations being exclusively managed by women and 22 booths manned by persons with disabilities (PwDs).

Eighteen of the 38 constituencies voting on November 20 are in the politically significant Santhal Paragana region, which comprises six districts, and has been at the centre of the BJP’s infiltration campaign.

Among the 38 seats headed for polls, eight are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and three for Scheduled Castes (SC). Prominent candidates in the fray include Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren, and his sister-in-law Sita Soren from the JMM. The BJP has fielded its state president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM), AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto, and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri.

In the 2019 assembly elections, the JMM secured 30 seats, while the BJP won 25 seats, a significant drop from the 37 it won in 2014. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance formed the government with a comfortable majority of 47 seats.

(With Agencies)