The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance is setting an ambitious target of winning 200 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls. Buoyed by their success in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the MVA alliance is brimming with confidence. According to Congress sources, the alliance is optimistic about securing between 156 to 160 seats.
For better coordination and results, the state is being divided into six regions: Vidarbha, Mumbai, North Maharashtra (Khandesh), Western Maharashtra, Marathwada, and Konkan. The Congress-led alliance holds a strong position or is leading in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Western Maharashtra, while the BJP dominates in Mumbai, Konkan, and North Maharashtra.
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MVA Alliance Has Potential To Win 156 To 160 Seats, Congress Sources Say
Maharashtra Lok Sabha results are a shot in the arm for the MVA which will set a target of 200 seats in assembly polls. The success in the recent Lok Sabha elections has infused new energy in the MVA bloc.
If Congress sources are to be believed, the current situation has given MVA the possibility of getting 156 to 160 seats.
Despite the BJP's efforts to court the OBC community, the Congress believes that the internal conflict between the Maratha and OBC communities could create challenges for the BJP.
The BJP, meanwhile, is focusing on OBC voters including the Mali, Dhangar, and Vanjari communities, while the Congress is working on the Maratha, Muslim and Dalit (MMD) formula in this election and the leadership believes that this equation helped MVA Win 30 seats.
To strengthen its appeal among the OBC voter base, the BJP has made strategic moves, including appointing Pankaja Munde as MLC and including Raksha Shine in the cabinet. Another OBC leader, Vinod Tawade, has also been elevated within the party.
It is worth noting that Manoj Jarange is leading the Maratha movement in the state, while the OBC community has also opened a front against it, led by Laxman Hake. Congress strategists believe that the BJP is in considerable trouble due to the conflict between these two communities.
Amidst this, the Congress has entrusted OBC leaders Vijay Vettiwar and Nana Patole with key responsibilities and has also expressed faith in Bala Saheb Thorat, a prominent Maratha leader. The party is formulating its strategy by focusing on urban versus rural issues. Apart from Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik, emphasis is being placed on addressing farmers' issues, rural problems, inflation, and unemployment in rural Maharashtra. In urban areas, infrastructure, inflation, unemployment, and per capita income are likely to become key poll issues.
Maharashtra Elections: Congress To Bank On Gandhi Magic As Aggressive Campaigning To Commence In Sept
The Congress plans to commence aggressive campaigning in September, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi leading the charge. The preparations for the same have already begun.
Rahul Gandhi will focus on constituencies with significant Dalit and Muslim populations, as well as rural areas where his popularity has increased.
Notably, during the Lok Sabha elections in May, Priyanka Gandhi held a very successful rally in Nadurbar, and seeing its response, she will get an important responsibility in the campaigning in the state elections as well. She will spearhead the campaign in urban regions, according to party sources.
Initially, strategists were preparing for a 'Guarantee' campaign in Maharashtra on the lines of Karnataka and Telangana. However, recent populist announcements by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's government have prompted a reassessment of the campaign strategy.
Sunil Konugulu, credited with Congress's victories in Karnataka and Telangana, has crafted a special strategy for Maharashtra.
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The MVA's confidence is bolstered by the recent Lok Sabha results, which saw them win 30 out of 48 seats, a significant improvement from their previous performance. In contrast, the BJP-led NDA's seat count dropped to less than half of what it achieved in 2019, managing only 17 seats. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance fell well short of its goal of winning more than 45 seats in Maharashtra.
It needs to be seen whether MVA's 30 Lok Sabha seats get converted into assembly numbers. The house has 288 total seats. 146 is the magic number to form the government.
In the 2019 Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 seats, while its then ally, the undivided Shiv Sena, secured 18. The undivided NCP won four constituencies, and the Congress managed to win just one seat.