Under Modi’s watch

PM visits MMR and Maharashtra over and over again as the state is seen as prime for the Lok Sabha gain

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited Maharashtra over half a dozen times in the past ten months. He is set to visit Navi Mumbai next to dedicate to the people a much-delayed Metro rail link, the Nerul-Uran line, the first phase of the Surya drinking water scheme, and to address a women’s empowerment event, for which one lakh representatives from across the state are expected in the last week of October.

The PM is also expected to tour Shirdi to launch various projects. There was no clarity on whether his visits to Navi Mumbai and Shirdi would be on the same day or set apart.

Recently, the PM attended the Olympic committee event in Mumbai, and later he inaugurated JNPT projects online. With a sharp focus on gaining as much electorally, he is expected to return to the state again to launch new projects, such as the first phase of the city’s first underground Metro-3, the Mumbai trans-harbour link (MTHL) and the last leg of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, ahead of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections.

The super-active BJP shows Maharashtra is very important for it because it will test the party in conditions that did not exist before—first for the Lok Sabha and then for the Assembly elections. In a way, Maharashtra will again be an arena where an ace called Narendra Modi will be trying hard at his rallying skills for the third time. The BJP had fallen short of expectations twice before, especially in the Assembly elections. The robust Modi wave of 2014 didn’t get the BJP a majority on its own in the state Assembly. Five years later, it reduced the numbers and lost power, only to bounce back in a Shiv Sena coup last year. But in the Lok Sabha, the state had been consistent in supporting the saffron partners in 2014 and 2019. However, this time around, the general elections’ field in the state which is the second biggest after Uttar Pradesh in terms of the MPs it sends to the lower house, is expected to be different from yesteryear, if the Opposition remains united and bolstered by brand I.N.D.I.A.

Sharing seats will be very complicated for both the Opposition and ruling partners. The BJP may already have the seat-sharing formula concocted, but it remains to be seen who among its two partners accepts it without hesitation. It also remains to be seen who benefits from the BJP’s sacrifice, if any. For BJP’s partners, a lot depends on the Lok Sabha results, because it would indicate the direction in which the wind would be blowing ahead of the winter’s Assembly elections. Before the Lok Sabha, the next month’s Assembly elections in five states—three in the Hindi belt, one down south and one up north-east—will keep the BJP upfront, whether it wins or gets defeated. Lok Sabha will be the decider. States can come and go, go and come.

Meanwhile in Maharashtra, the BJP’s priority seems to be reaching out to the people under Modi’s leadership, telling them about the welfare activity he has done so far and what he plans to do in the future. The single largest party does not rely on the alliance partners when it comes to campaigning, though its staying in power depends on partners. The BJP does its job in the field diligently and thoroughly. But then, the Opposition has not been resting its efforts to fan an anti-BJP sentiment. Protests of all kinds—for reservations, jobs, pensions and other issues—have been staged. Social engineering will again be the flavour of the political season. Remarkably, certain parties have openly sided with specific castes and caste groups that have been supporting them traditionally.

Tailpiece: The scrapping of outsourcing government jobs has not only hit some senior leaders in the ruling parties but also in the opposition. These leaders have been directly or indirectly associated with the agencies that were empanelled by the successive governments in the past many years. Seeing the BJP’s advent post-2014, one of these leaders had shifted his base from the NCP to the new ruling camp.

Another leader—a new entrant in the tripartite government—is said to be associated with a company based in western Maharashtra. Among other agencies that were empanelled along with the old masters of the outsourcing game are links with some leaders in the current opposition. The buzz says all is not lost for the agencies, especially the one associated with a leader very close to power centres because the independent departments have been allowed to create contractual jobs as per their needs. It is to be seen whether the departments do the hiring or outsource the task to the private agencies.

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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