Mahajan speaks about the BJP’s new poll strategy after its loss in the Lok Sabha election, the alliances, and the need for welfare schemes in the state.
Published Nov 17, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 17, 2024 | 10:11 AM
Girish Mahajan.
Six major parties are contesting the assembly polls in Maharashtra. Over the past five years, all of them have had a stint in government.
What began as a seat-sharing post-poll dispute between the BJP and the Shiv Sena devolved into unlikely alliances, ruptures in two legacy parties, and an uneasy coalition in power – for the second time.
The Mahayuti, which replaced the Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprises the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, its ideological opponent NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and the BJP.
The task of balancing long-standing rivals, soothing ruffled party workers, and managing dissent fell to the BJP’s troubleshooter, Girish Mahajan – the man to bring them all together.
With days to go before the polls, Mahajan, the state’s Rural Development Minister, spoke to South First about the saffron party’s new poll strategy after its loss in the Lok Sabha election, the alliances, and the need for welfare schemes in the state.
Q: How do you feel about the Mahayuti coalition’s chances in the Assembly polls? How many seats are you confident to win?
A: As per our estimates, we are confident of winning 175-180 seats. It will be a clear majority. And I believe all media surveys are on our side as well.
The work we have done speaks for itself, both in the last two years, as well as in the five years under Devendra Fadanvis. There were hardly any new schemes for development during the Uddhav Thackeray regime. He never even stepped out of [his home] Matoshri to come to the state secretariat.
Q: What are the lessons the party has learned from its less-than-expected performance in the Lok Sabha polls, and what changes have you made to your campaign strategy?
A: We began the work from the very day the Lok Sabha poll results were announced. In the general election, we lost because our opponents created false narratives against us. When we raised the slogan “ab ki baar 400 paar,” the Congress accused us of wanting to change the Constitution, do away with reservation — basically, anything that could stick. We lost a lot of support from the SC and ST communities.
Sometimes, because of these narratives and voting patterns, we lost constituencies purely because one taluka voted against us…that’s why Ujwal Nikam lost in Mumbai North-Central, for example. But now we have learned.
Q: The BJP finds itself in an unusual alliance, with halves of two parties you have opposed for decades. Given the ideological differences, are you concerned that this dichotomy might be off-putting for voters?
A: We are contesting as one unit. We have one manifesto, focused on welfare schemes, development projects, and congruence with the Centre. Given our united front, I don’t think people have a problem with our alliance.
Q: The middle-class is one of your biggest boosters. There is a perception that this segment is disgruntled about your welfare schemes — they are seen as a misappropriation of the tax they pay.
A: The way our country and our economy work, money comes from the rich and is used for the benefit of the poor. Even today, a major segment of our nation has a hand-to-mouth existence. This taxation system, no matter the optics, is the only way of achieving true equality. This is a government for the underprivileged, and sadly, that means the burden of tax is inevitable.
The way I see it, this is yet another narrative propagated by our opponents, which seems really hypocritical. Before the Lok Sabha polls, NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule was very critical of the Ladki Bahin scheme…I remember her saying women don’t need charity. Now that we are campaigning again, her party is trying to outbid us in the payment amounts.
Q: Your government has definitely brought in schemes for women like Ladki bahin and the Ujwala Yojana. At the Centre, the BJP pioneered the Women’s Reservation Bill. And yet, the party has fielded only eight women candidates in these polls?
A: Wherever we could, we fielded women leaders; in Jalgaon in North Maharashtra, for example, we had two women candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. Women empowerment is very important to us, which is why we have so many programmes for education, development…and by the next polls, we plan to create enough capable leaders that we would exceed the 33 percent mark. Who knows, I may probably field a woman from my seat too.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
