Ladki Bahin, 'batenge toh katenge' raise campaign pitch in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The Maharashtra assembly polls campaign, which started on issues like welfare initiatives and development, has reached its crescendo with phrases such as 'vote jihad', 'dharma yuddha', 'Constitution under threat' dominating the discourse.

The campaign, set to conclude on Monday, also saw NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray make an emotional pitch to voters, citing the "betrayal" by Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, respectively.

The Mahayuti government, comprising the Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, BJP and Ajit Pawar's NCP, has been highlighting its Ladki Bahin scheme for women in the run-up to the November 20 state polls.

The previous Uddhav Thackeray-headed MVA government lasted for two-and-a-half years, before being pulled down by large-scale desertions in the Shiv Sena by Shinde and other leaders in June 2022. Last year, Ajit Pawar also walked out with several NCP legislators and became the deputy CM in the Mahayuti government.

The factions led by Shinde and Ajit Pawar have been recognised by the Election Commission as the 'real' Shiv Sena and NCP, respectively.

The "betrayal" by Shinde and Ajit Pawar dominated the poll campaign of the NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), with Thackeray urging voters to defeat "gaddars" at the hustings.

Sharad Pawar (84) has also been on a whirlwind tour of the state and addressing rallies in the strongholds of his one time confidants - Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse-Patil.

The senior Pawar is likely to address a rally on Monday in his home town Baramati, where Ajit Pawar is taking on his nephew and debutant politician Yugendra Pawar of the NCP (SP).

"The BJP admitting Ajit Pawar in the government is a betrayal of the core values the party stands for. It was the BJP that had called Ajit Pawar corrupt and launched a campaign against him," claimed Vinod Salunkhe, a die-hard BJP supporter from Dadar in Mumbai.

However, he said he is resigned to supporting the BJP as there was "no other alternative".

"I have just two options -- either sit at home or support the BJP," Salunkhe, a senior executive in a corporate firm, said.

After the drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, the Shinde-led Mahayuti government rolled out a slew of welfare measures, including the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, that hands out Rs 1,500 as monthly doles to women.

"Over 2.3 crore women have benefited from the scheme with many receiving up to Rs 7,500," a government official said.

The scheme was launched in July and Shinde said the government had paid the installment for November in advance, anticipating the model code of conduct following the announcement of elections.

Despite welfare measures and the development pitch, phrases such as 'batenge toh katenge' (divided we fall), 'ek hai toh safe hai' (united we are safe), 'vote jihad' and 'dharma yuddha' dominated the campaign gradually, drawing concern even by BJP leaders such as Pankaja Munde and Ashok Chavan and key ally Ajit Pawar.

Fadnavis contended the leaders have not understood the "core message" of unity sought to be conveyed through the slogan and claimed foreign invaders ruled the country whenever it was divided over caste lines.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has succinctly said it in the slogan 'ek hai toh safe hai'," Fadnavis recently said, adding the phrases signalled a pitch for unity.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who decided against entering the electoral fray, has also been touring parts of the state urging voters to defeat those opposed to reservation for the community.

In the din of the election campaign, issues such as creating employment, attracting investments, migration by farmers, rising costs of healthcare and education appear to have relegated to the background.

In rural parts of Maharashtra, issues like farm distress, slump in the prices of soybean and cotton and non-availability of farm labour are dominant, but virtually absent from the political discourse.

"The issue of onion export ban dealt a body blow to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections; in the assembly elections, soybean and cotton could be the issues nagging the ruling party," Dipak Jagtap, an RTI activist from Manmad in Nashik, said.

He said the Ladki Bahin initiative could be a game changer for the ruling alliance as women across the board have received the financial assistance from the state government.

The state also saw the rival alliances roll out senior leaders from across the country in the campaign.

PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot were among those who campaigned for the elections.

As many as 9.7 crore persons are eligible to cast vote in the November 20 polls to the 288-member state assembly.