Bhubaneswar: The biggest question in Maharashtra after the election is the fate of the political parties and their leaders. It is for the first time that one Assembly election will provide answer to many questions. It is natural that the result of this Assembly election will decide who will be in the saddle. But, the Haryana Assembly election is going to act like a catalyst during the Maharashtra election.
The Haryana result threw up several answers. The oozing of confidence or the lack of it became vivid during the campaigning in the northern Indian state. But as soon as the results were announced there was a paradigm shift in the politics of the country. Political parties, which boasted about their popularity, have gone silent after the Haryana results, especially the Congress which was over confident prior to the poll. Complacence has cost the grand old party very dear snatching away victory. The party had floated the ‘Jawan-kissan-pehlwan-Samvidhan’ slogan and was confident of grabbing people’s attention. But the hopes finally fizzled out as the BJP.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his coteries of advisors were so damn sure about success in the polls that they did not feel it necessary to gauge the mood of the voters in Haryana.
However, in Maharashtra these slogans apparently have no takers. The failure in Haryana has sent the Congress into the ICU and it is at sea to devise any strategy to counter the BJP onslaught which is riding high. The BJP, which faired below expectations in Haryana and Maharashtra during the LOk Sabha election, is upbeat to repeat its 2019 Assembly election along with Mahayuti allies—Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar).
But it is just the reverse in the Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA)—alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). This alliance is just baffled as to how the scenario between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections changed. These three parties crib about seat sharing mainly because each of them is more concerned about their identities than the result. The issue has become so vexed that they are unable to launch even their election campaign and lag far behind their adversaries.
The ‘aura’ of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thakrey has virtually gone exint while Sharad Pawar is perhaps trying for the last time in his political career to re-assert himself. The murmur in Shiv Sena is loud that the successor of Balasaheb Thackray’s legacy is restless to return to the BJP fold which he had shunned five years ago just to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to satiate his political ambitions. Sharad Pawar also is unlikely to remain a vibrant agent in Maharashtra politics after the polls in the State. If rumours are any indication, the senior Pawar may choose to return to his parent fold Congress just to remain relevant as long as possible.
Ajit Pawar, too will have a tough time if he does not fare well. He has got a taste of bitterness during the lok sabha polls when his wife was humbled in the Baramati seat by non other than cousin Supriya Sule—daughter of Sharad Pawar. Giving ticket to Nawab Mallick for the Assembly election, against the wishes of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis has also created uncomfortable situation for Ajit Pawar.
Notably, Ajit Pawar, though in the Mahayuti alliance, has little impact on the stability of the alliance.
Hence, the Maharashtra election in all probability, will decide the future of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) and a new formation cannot be ruled out.
