FIRST, A REALITY CHECK. Since the Congress win in Maharashtra in 1990, the six assembly elections in the state in the past 30 years have not seen any party win a majority on its own, which means coalition governments have been the norm. The upcoming assembly election in India's commercial capital will be no different. Except that the state has seen three chief ministers and three governments in the past five years and splits in its two big regional parties, triggering unexpected political alignments and fragmenting the polity even further. Now, there are two major alliances in the fray. On one side is the ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led breakaway faction of the Shiv Sena, and the deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Taking them on is the INDIA bloc's MVA or the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which has the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), or SS(UBT), led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray, the NCP(SP) faction led by patriarch Sharad Pawar, the alliance's binding glue, and the Congress.
This story is from the 4th November, 2024 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 4th November, 2024 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
WINNING THE WAR
THE INSIDE STORY OF THE MODI GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINED BID TO END THE NAXAL THREAT, INDIA'S GREATEST INTERNAL SECURITY CHALLENGE
ART AND THE CITY
DAG's annual art and heritage festival will debut in Mumbai with a multi-site programme
Period Drama
Ram Madhvani's SonyLIV series The Waking of a Nation uses the courtroom drama and investigative procedural tropes to depict the lead up to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
CHARTING NEW WATERS PARADIP PORT'S RISE AS INDIA'S CARGO LEADER
With unparalleled cargo handling growth, cutting-edge digital solutions, and sustainability-driven expansion, Paradip Port is redefining India's maritime landscape. Sh. P L Haranadh, Chairman of PPA, discusses the port's innovative approach to multimodal logistics, green hydrogen initiatives, and future-ready infrastructure in this insightful Q&A:
WOMAN POWER
Season 2 of the Tamil crime thriller series Suzhal, set against the backdrop of a vibrant local festival, features strong female characters
THE TIP OF THE SPEAR
IN India’s arsenal against Left-wing Extremism, the Naxal surrender policy has emerged as a crucial weapon. By providing Naxal cadres a peaceful exit, the policy has reduced insurgent numbers, disrupted leadership structures and logistical support, and yielded valuable intelligence for counter-insurgency operations. Over the past five years, nearly 3,000 rebels, including mid-level leaders, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, significantly weakening Naxal influence in its last bastion.
Magic of Modernism
In its inaugural exhibition, Celebrating the Modernists of Indian Art, Thapar Gallery in Delhi honours several pioneers
THE POWER SHUFFLE
In politics, words can be weapons, but silence is often the sharpest blade. Barely a day after swearing in seven new ministers, all from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar made an appearance at a public gathering organised by another alliance partner—Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)—at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on February 28. What followed was an enactment of brevity.
URBAN ANGST
Sudhir Patwardhan's new solo is a visual meditation on the organised chaos of the city, and the grinding rites of passage its people must endure
VISIONARY BUILDER
This biography of the eminent architect Charles Correa highlights his penchant for design innovation and a sense of social responsibility
