To what extent has inflation risen? There's only looting happening. Due to rising gas prices, many cannot afford to buy food, such as wheat or rice. Excellent schools do not exist. You can check how many businesses relocated to Gujarat from Maharashtra. I will not vote for the central government because of how poorly it is performing.
Pallavi first came to see us when she arrived for an early stroll in Mumbai's well-known Shivaji Park. In Maharashtra and Mumbai politics, Shivaji Park holds a unique position. From the Shiv Sena-MNS formation to the Shiv Sena Dussehra gathering, this location has been the scene of significant political events.
Maharashtra will hold elections for 48 seats in 5 phases, from April 19 to May 20. The Dainik Bhaskar team went to Shivaji Park to ascertain the people's concerns and emotions.
While Pallavi may be upset with the federal administration, Santosh Mote, who arrived to market veggies in a park corner, declares that he will only support Modi in the election. He respected ladies and got the Ram temple constructed. The head of the cricket academy at Shivaji Park, Dutta Prasad Sarang, says he will support the party as long as it stays linked to Hinduism.
Similar to Pallavi, Santosh, and Dutta Prasad, each Maharashtra region has unique problems. I learned four things about the problems influencing election voting by looking around and chatting with people.
1. The dissolution of the government, party division, and leadership transition.
Maharashtra has had two changes in government and three chief ministers in the past five years. Leaders suspected of corruption are switching parties out of fear of an inquiry. This is allegedly due to a concern about an ED-CBI investigation. Voters, however, do not approve of the leaders' decision to switch parties.
2. The Dhangar and Maratha communities' demand for reservations: These communities are requesting reservations in Maharashtra. Twenty seats are impacted by the votes from both areas. The Maratha Reserve has the most influence of all of these. Eight districts in the division of Aurangabad are experiencing this migration. This division has eight seats in the Lok Sabha.
3. In Vidarbha and Marathwada, farming-related difficulties have an impact on farming, water challenges, and farmer suicides. Farmers in Maharashtra commit suicide only in Vidarbha. But Marathwada is having more conversations about this topic than Vidarbha. In Marathwada, the major issue is drought.
4. No relationship between CAA and Ram Mandir: In Maharashtra, Ram Mandir is no longer a major problem. There's no pattern of people from here traveling to Uttar Pradesh for pilgrimage. On the Ram temple issue, Maharashtra residents who are North Indians are eligible to vote. In a similar vein, CAA's impact is likewise imperceptible.
Although unemployment and inflation exist, they are not a major problem.
Brijmohan Pandey, a senior journalist, argues that politics in Maharashtra have become isolated from those of the rest of the nation. Three of the parties in the India block are led by the BJP. These parties were all founded for various caste and regional reasons. Voter polarization based on religion could occur in certain parts of Western Maharashtra and Marathwada.
Senior Nagpur journalist Manoj Chaubey states, "The parties in power will seek votes on national issues like Article 370 and Ram Mandir." The opposition will corner the government on corruption and inflation at the same time.
People said: "Work is needed, not just Ram's name."
Sunny Thackeray, an auto driver from Ramkund, Nashik, states, "We need work." I won't cast a vote if someone is just asking for votes on the Ram Mandir issue. Found here, Akash Nikam declares, 'We want Nashik to grow; we live in Ramghat.' Simultaneously, Sanjay Bodke, another car driver, asserts that Ram temple is equally important as progress.
Close to Ramghat, Jai Pawar owns a vadapav business. "Ganga Aarti has started here after Modi's arrival," Jai remarks. Our business has significantly changed as a result of this. For this reason, we shall only select Modi.
The young person stated, "Job and education are the biggest issues." We first met Rajat Patel, a visitor from Nagpur who had traveled to Nashik, at Ramkund. This will be their first election. "For me, the biggest issues are employment and education," states Rajat. Innovation needs to be encouraged by the government. The kids will have more opportunities as more innovation is encouraged. Governments in other nations manage innovation hubs and forums. We want comparable forums to be held here as well.
Farmers' grievance: We were destroyed by their ban on the export of onions.
Asia's largest market is in Nashik. This is where the tariffs for onions are set for the entire country of India. We met Jalgaon-born farmer Hiradas Pawar in the market. They have a grudge against the national government. The export of onions has reportedly been outlawed by the Modi government. Farmers' onions are decaying as a result. We are offering throwaway prices for the produce.
Vidarbha has ten seats, including Nagpur and Amravati. The BJP secured six seats, while the Shiv Sena secured three seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Subsequently, both parties jointly ran for office. This time, they are at odds with one another.
The two main problems facing Vidarbha, according to Jaideep Hardikar, a political analyst with knowledge of Maharashtra, are agriculture and forests. There are forests in eastern Vidarbha. The majority of the people living here are tribal. These individuals are frequently attacked by untamed animals. For a very long time, tribes have fought for ownership rights over wood.
Farming in the remaining parts of Vidarbha is reliant on rainfall. In Vidarbha, a lot of money has been invested in irrigation systems; however, irrigation is not growing. Another problem is the increase in migration brought on by Vidarbha's unemployment rate. Aside from this, women in Vidarbha's rural and urban areas face significant work-related stress. These women owe a lot of money as well.
On July 26, 2023, the Maharashtra government informed the Assembly that over 4,000 farmers in Vidarbha had committed suicide over the previous three years, from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. Of these, 957 were carried out in the Nagpur division and 3,452 in the Amravati division. In Marathwada, 2,683 farmers took their own lives during this time.
Senior journalist Manoj Chaubey from Nagpur comments, "Dry farming is more prevalent in Vidarbha." This place lacks adequate irrigation systems. This explains why farmers account for the highest percentage of suicide incidents. Despite this, it is not a concern for any leader or political party.
According to senior journalist Jaideep Hardikar, the three main problems facing Marathwada are migration, drought, and a lack of industry. Voting will nevertheless be based on societal dynamics, such as Maratha and other caste-religious factors.
"Nobody in the nation is talking about sugarcane or sugar mills, but in Maharashtra, sugar mills are a major problem," he claims. In the current government, there isn't a single figurehead that can represent these industries. As such, it is impossible to determine which party the residents of this locality support.
Marathwada is home to 65% of farmers. Farmers make about 78% of the lower and middle classes. The majority, who are from Kunbi and Maratha communities, have long demanded reservations. Farmers' crops rotted because there was 40% less rainfall in this area last year. This has angered them, and they may turn against the administration as a result.
The Maharashtra government offered Marathwada a package worth Rs 59 lakh crore in October 2023. People's fury was lessened by this, though it's unclear if it will result in votes or not.
Numerous North Maharashtra figures, according to Jaideep, have switched political parties. Here, voters support their preferred leader over the party. Over the past ten to twelve years, North Maharashtra has grown to be a BJP stronghold. Similar to Marathwada, the problems of water and agriculture also exist here. Nevertheless, its influence on the elections is barely noticeable.
Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar have had a had a considerable impact on Western Maharashtra. This time, the two are directly competing with one another. Like in North Maharashtra, voting might be based on leaders rather than parties in Western Maharashtra. The matter of Marathi identity is the second-most significant problem with this sugar plant. He is a major player in the sugar lobby.
The problems facing Konkan are distinct from those facing the rest of Maharashtra, according to political analyst Dnyaneshwar Raorane. The Mumbai-Goa Highway, which is 440 kilometers long, goes through Konkan. Twelve years later, the work is still ongoing. People may be impacted by this delay.
The proposed Barsu refinery in the Ratnagiri district is being opposed by locals. In the Lok Sabha elections, parties have attempted to sidestep this topic. Pollution, however, is making the refinery problem worse. Here, farmers also have two problems. Mango farmers and cashew farmers receive inadequate compensation to start.
Journalist Jaideep Hardikar states that there is a war going on in Mumbai between the BJP and Uddhav Thackeray. This does not appear to have a direct bearing. The sides are merely discussing their mutual tussle. While many Shiv Sena politicians have defected to other parties, the original Shiv Sainiks and core supporters of Uddhav Thackeray remain loyal to him.
Major developments in Mumbai currently cost between Rs 7 and 8 lakh crore. The proposed Dharavi Redevelopment Project is estimated to cost Rs 15 lakh crore. Dharavi is a significant initiative; the BJP can gain support on its foundation. On the other hand, the private builder might find the Dharavi project problematic because of the opposition.
Meanwhile, political analyst Brijmohan compares Mumbai to a smaller version of India. The Hindi heartland areas are influenced by North Indians. There are also individuals from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Mumbai, there are also Akhilesh and Tejashwi Yadav fans. Mumbai's nature is distinct. People are split up here according to their regions and religions.
To what extent will the reservation issue affect the upcoming elections?
The OBC quota is being demanded by the Maratha people. Voters for Maratha-OBC are becoming more divided as a result. Maratha voters have tended to lean toward the NCP and Congress. OBC voters continue to support Shiv Sena and the BJP. The Shinde government has committed to giving the Maratha community reservations. The BJP and Shiv Sena (the Shinde group), or Mahayuti, will lose if the Marathas become enraged.
In Maharashtra, there are 28% Marathas, according to a report by the State Commission of Maharashtra for Backward Classes. Out of them, 21.22% are poor, which is greater than the 17.4% average for the state. According to reports, the Maratha community accounts for 94% of the state's farmer suicides. Six of the nine seats in Western Maharashtra and six of the eight seats in Marathwada are under their grip.
Dhangars are demanding reservations, just as Marathas are. Roughly one crore people live in the Dhangar community, according to a TISS report. The population of Maharashtra is 11.25 crore, or 9% of it. They are significantly influencing four of the 48 Lok Sabha seats: Baramati, Madha, Solapur, and Satara.
Which topics are prioritized by political parties?
BJP: In favor of Ram's name in light of advancements
Mumbai "For us, the most important issue is development," adds BJP spokesman Ganesh Khankar. We are informing the people about the progress made over the past ten years under Prime Minister Modi's direction.
"Leaders of opposition parties used to make fun of us on the issue of Ram Temple," adds Ganesh Khankar. They used to declare that the temple will be constructed there, but they would never say when. Ram Lalla was present when the magnificent temple was being built, and we placed the temple's foundation as soon as the Supreme Court's ruling was announced. This will be our practical problem as well.
"Inflation was out of control earlier; it is now under control." These days, only leaders discuss unemployment and inflation. The average person does not discuss these topics.
Congress: I'll inform the public about the BJP's broken pledges.
Mumbai The BJP, according to Congress General Secretary Dr. Kishore Singh, is claiming credit for the job that the Congress has done. We are addressing the issues of inflation and unemployment with the general public. Our employees in rural areas serve as a constant reminder of the Modi government's hollow pledge to double farmers' incomes. Also being told is the job that Congress has completed over the past 70 years.
Shiv Sena, the side led by Uddhav, would raise concerns about unemployment and inflation.
The Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction's spokesperson, Anand Dubey, claims that inflation is the main concern in this election. A party coined the phrase "Enough of inflation, this time it's the Modi government" in 2014. Because they believed in this slogan, they voted for him. After ten years, inflation has not decreased.
He continues, "The BJP promised to create two crore jobs annually when it came to office. In actuality, 90 crore individuals who are qualified for jobs are not receiving them. In Maharashtra's Vidarbha and Marathwada districts, farmers are powerless. Insurance companies are reluctant to assist them as well.
NCP (SP): Will run in elections focusing on the problems of farmers and unemployment.
According to Clyde Crasto, the party's national spokesperson, Maharashtra's largest problem is unemployment. More people are unemployed today than there were forty-five years ago. Relieving the farmers is the second concern. They receive no payment. In addition, we will ask people to vote on inflation and MSP.
Shiv Sena leader Shinde is running for office on the platform of Hindutva, Ram, and Modi.
Spokesman for the Shiv Sena (Shinde group), Krishna Hegde, states, "We have looked at Modi as a leader, and we follow Hindutva as our ideology." We had requested votes in the names of these two in 2019. Aside from this, we are advancing Balasaheb's worldview. For us, it comes down to faith in Lord Ram. We shall only speak to the public in his honor.
We visited with those who had the identical four problems in 2019. After abandoning these four causes, Uddhav Thackeray joined the Congress.
Families and gatherings are being broken apart by Mahavikas Aghadi.
Breaking up parties is a problem, according to Maharashtra's opposition alliance, Mahavikas Aghadi, often known as INDIA Block. Under the guise of raids on opposition leaders by investigating agencies, the administration is being attacked. Leading figures in the alliance are always criticizing the government from a platform. Read the following three statements on this:
Date: March 31, 2024
Location: Delhi's Ramlila Maidan
When Uddhav Thackeray arrived on stage at INDIA Block's "Save Democracy Rally," he yelled, "This time, BJP is over." "I want to challenge the BJP people to write on the banner that the Income Tax Department, the CBI, and the ED are the three parties that are part of the BJP," he remarked. The nation is now in peril under a one-person, one-party rule.
Date: March 29, 2024
Location: Sharad Pawar, the head of Satara NCP (SP), was hosting a news conference. Then word leaked out that Praful Patel had received a clean sheet from the CBI on the purported Rs 840 crore Air India fraud. Patel has since joined the NDA administration. Sharad Pawar stated that he will undoubtedly receive a clean sheet on this. Praful Patel was with us at one point. We were concerned then, but a new route has been discovered. Here, there has been a discussion about how joining the BJP is preferable to going to jail.
Date: March 17, 2024 The Congress was finishing up the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Mumbai's Shivaji Park. Following a road tour, Rahul Gandhi arrived at Shivaji Maidan. Said: Income Tax, ED, CBI, and EVM are where Raja's soul is. They are intimidating the leaders into joining the BJP based on this.
The tactics of splintering parties in order to gain power has also infuriated voters. According to Mumbai resident Gopal Shetty, "BJP is breaking parties in Maharashtra." Corrupt leaders cannot be cleaned by a washing machine. In this case, the ruling party is one and the opposing party is the same. It's a really perplexing vibe.
