CHALLENGING TIMES FOR BOTH MAHAYUTI AND MAHA VIKAS AGHADI IN MAHARASHTRA

The Maharashtra Assembly elections will serve as a crucial litmus test for the state's Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances, following the announcement of the election date by the Election Commission of India.

- TIKAM SHARMA

The state will hold a single-phase election on November 20, with the results set to be declared on November 23, alongside the results of the Jharkhand elections. The Assembly elections will put the leadership of both the alliances to test.

The upcoming election is expected to be intriguing as the I.N.D.I Alliance partners the Congress, Sharad Pawar's NCP and Uddhav Thackeray's Sena-who comprise the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), plan to replicate their Lok Sabha election strategy in the Assembly elections. MVA's previous campaign focused on the "threat to the Constitution and to reservations," appealing to Dalits. The MVA is reviving this and is addressing the unrest among Marathas regarding their quota demands, while counting on generous support from the Muslim community. However, amid political shifts and the ongoing trouble between Marathas and OBCs over reservations, the BJP is aiming to apply its successful "anti-Jat polarisation" strategy from Haryana to consolidate OBC votes in Maharashtra. OBCs are estimated to make up 52% of Maharashtra's population.