Maharashtracha saat bara kay yanchya bapacha aahe ka? (Do the land records of Maharashtra belong to their fathers?)”
Senior farmers’ leader and two-term MP Raju Shetti made this angry statement when THE WEEK asked him why his Parivartan Maha Shakti front was being described as the B team of the ruling saffron alliance. He refuted the claim and said he was equally opposed to both the saffron alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
He used the word saat bara, an important land record document, from the point of view of a farmer. For Shetti, who cut his political teeth in Sharad Joshi’s Shetkari Sanghatana and then formed his own Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, the focus is clear―get the votes of farmers and farming-dependent families who are miffed with both alliances and their policies.
As in many state elections, farmer-related issues are going to be top priority in Maharashtra. The ruling alliance, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has made tall claims that it will launch schemes to make farmers’ lives better. Regional media has reported Shinde saying he is going to launch Ladka Shetkari scheme (for farmers) after his Ladki Bahin and Ladka Bhau direct money transfer schemes for young women and men. He has also announced a subsidy of Rs5,000 a hectare for soyabean and cotton farmers, and has launched a farm electricity bills waiver scheme. To top it all, he recently declared Maharashtra’s indigenous cow breeds as rajya mata.
The MVA, on the other hand, is leaving no stone unturned to corner the ruling alliance. And if the return of leaders who had left the Congress and the NCP in 2019 is any sign, the MVA is on solid ground. Samarjeet Ghatge and Harshvardhan Patil have joined the NCP (Sharad Pawar) from the BJP, and Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) is expected to return to the Sharad Pawar faction soon. Within the MVA, Congress leaders are confident that the next chief minister will be from their party.
When the Election Commission announces the poll dates, the swords will be out. The projected difference between the MVA and the saffron alliance is 2 to 3 per cent, and Shinde and his two deputies―Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar―are working hard to bridge this gap.
Every community is being wooed. For instance, there are efforts to include the Dhangar community in the scheduled tribes list; currently, they are a part of the larger OBC community. This move has angered the ST community. Their leader Narhari Zirwal, is from the NCP (Ajit Pawar) group and is also deputy speaker of the assembly. All 25 ST MLAs have threatened to resign if the Dhangars are made a part of the ST list. It will be interesting to see how the ruling alliance pacifies the community.
This election will also decide which of the two Shiv Senas and the two NCPs are more powerful. At present, in the game of perception, Pawar senior is clearly ahead of his nephew. But, like his uncle, Ajit is also a master of resource mobilisation and election management.
As for the perception battle between the Thackerays and Shinde, things are not as clear. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Shinde’s Sena won more of the seats where there was a direct contest between the Senas. Uddhav Thackeray certainly has the sympathy factor, but there is some doubt among his allies about whether he can convert this into votes. In that regard, Uddhav and son Aaditya have a fairly difficult task.
Notably, one Thackeray who has not played his cards yet is Raj, head of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. He has been travelling the state to gauge the mood of the people, and is thinking of contesting nearly 200 seats. If that happens, his candidates will eat into the Sena (UBT) votes.