Maharashtra assembly elections: Mahayuti in 2024, BJP alone in 2029, says Amit Shah

(From left) Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, HM Amit Shah and state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankul, on Tuesday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Union minister Amit Shah told the party leaders in Mumbai on Tuesday that Mahayuti's win in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections was certain, and predicted that the BJP will be making a state government on its own five years later in 2029.

Saying that DyCM Devendra Fadnavis was the state BJP's captain, Shah advised the rank and file to work hard without worrying much about surveys, adding that the Maharashtra elections will be a game-changer for the country. He further told them that the people elected only those who have worked for them. He asked for shedding frustration, if any because the BJP had made its third government in a row at the Centre, while the Congress could not cross the 100 mark. He said that the party's Uttarakhand government had implemented the Uniform Civil Code and its Gujarat counterpart will do the same soon. The code will be implemented in Maharashtra once the party forms its government, he added.

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Shah was in the city on Tuesday to address senior leaders and office-bearers. A closed-door event at Dadar's Yogi Sabhagruha was held in the run-up to the elections. Later in the day, he travelled to Navi Mumbai to meet party workers. Last week, he visited Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Nashik and Kolhapur to review poll preparedness. He was expected to meet the alliance partners on return from Navi Mumbai.

Shah said that when the people in New Delhi asked him about Maharashtra, he told them that Mahayuti's victory was certain this year, and it would be the BJP's own government in 2029. He reminded the party leaders of the party's past when it had only two MPs, but enjoyed the workers' full loyalty. He said those were the days when the party members didn't worry much about losing because they knew they were in politics to make India a great nation and not for the government posts. He said the party hadn't changed its ideology and policy, whereas other parties changed their ideology and policy even as the governments came in and exited. He reminded the attendees that the party, as promised, had abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and built Ram Mandir at Ayodhya after coming to power.

BJP's poll strategist said that though various committees were formed for the Maharashtra elections, ex-CM Fadnavis will continue to lead the state BJP. He asked leaders to bury differences and sit together to ensure the party's victory in as many seats in Mumbai and MMR. He said one should perform on the ground level instead of showing off. He reiterated what he had told office-bearers of the rest of Maharashtra last week about polling booths where serious efforts were needed to increase polling percentage by at least 10 points. According to him, the data showed that in some six Lok Sabha constituencies the BJP would win five out of six seats because of the lead it had secured.

Fadnavis said that over three crore labharthi (beneficiaries of government schemes) were with the government. He said the fact that all kinds of flags were seen at rallies of Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray proved that he had lost support of Marathi and Hindu people. He had a word of caution for the office-bearers that they should not throw their wicket in overconfidence.