Mumbai. Discussions have intensified regarding the impact of the results of Haryana Assembly elections on the upcoming Maharashtra elections. Experts say that this will definitely boost the morale of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and will also increase its political bargaining power in the ruling Mahayuti alliance. On the contrary, the position of Congress, which performed better in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections, may weaken during the discussion on seat sharing in Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA).
In Haryana, BJP has achieved a hat-trick of power, while in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference-Congress alliance has achieved the magic figure to form the government. Voters gave decisive leads to the winners in both places, surprising many. Political analyst Abhay Deshpande said, ‘During the initial talks on seat sharing (between the constituents of the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra), the BJP was criticized for its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections.’ However, he said that Haryana’s performance will send a message that the BJP has made a comeback after its general election performance.
The threat of Haryana election results reached Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray said such a thing, now Congress-NCP should decide
can have a big impact
Abhay Deshpande said that apart from this, the leaders who were ready to leave the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and join the opposition MVA will also reconsider their decision. He further said, ‘On the other hand, Congress will have to adopt a soft stance while discussing seat sharing with its allies Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT).’ However, he cautioned that the political scenario of Maharashtra is different from that of Haryana. Deshpande said, ‘There was a direct fight between Congress and BJP in the northern state, but there are 6 parties in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and some small regional parties are also present in the political arena. Apart from this, Haryana’s voting cannot be compared with Maharashtra. He told that issues like Maratha vs OBC and Dhangar vs Scheduled Caste do not exist in Haryana. Deshpande said that these caste equations are complex and can influence the voting patterns in the western state to some extent.
How much weight will Congress’s claim get?
Political commentator Prakash Akolkar said that the MVA has a lot to learn from the example of the Congress. He said the Congress is excited about its performance in the Lok Sabha elections and is staking claim to seats in areas like Konkan where its presence is very less. Akolkar said, ‘Congress should understand that the mandate can change within four months. He should not make unnecessary claims in seat sharing talks. He said that factionalism could be a reason behind Congress’s defeat in Haryana and it will have to improve its position in Maharashtra. He said that Shiv Sena (UBT) should also try to tell people what it can give them instead of repeating topics like anti-national and betrayal.
Will Haryana be repeated in Maharashtra?
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MP and his son Shrikant Shinde said that like the voters of Haryana, Maharashtra voters will reject divisive tactics and choose the stability and progress offered by a double-engine government. Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Praful Patel said that Haryana’s mandate will force the outgoing and future leaders to reconsider their political steps. He said that due to the election results, Mahayuti’s allies Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP are excited. However, Congress leaders rejected the notion that Mahayuti would achieve electoral success in Maharashtra like Haryana. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the Haryana results will not have any impact on the Maharashtra elections and the morale of the party workers has not broken. Elections for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly are likely to be held next month.
Tags: Haryana election 2024, Maharashtra election 2024, National News
FIRST PUBLISHED: October 8, 2024, 23:28 IST