Maharashtra | Mayahuti's huge win marks longest rule by non-Congress party

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) made history in Maharashtra by winning a mammoth majority in the state and is set to return to power for a third consecutive term. This is the first time the NDA has retained power in Maharashtra for such a long period of time.

The victory in Maharashtra is even more sweet for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it became the single largest party and won seats across the sprawling state.

BJP outshines everyone

The performance of the BJP can be understood from the fact that out of the 155 seats it contested, it won in 126 with a strike rate of more than 80 per cent – its best in the state.

“There was a lot of talk about anti-incumbency but the NDA has proved there was pro-incumbency in the state. The victory is because of the work done by chief minister Eknath Shinde in the last 30 months with the support of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The result is because of the development work. The election was contested under the leadership of Shinde and he is the NDA leader in the state,” Shrirang Barne, a senior leader of Shiv Sena and MP, told The Federal.

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BJP crushes Congress

More than five months after facing a setback in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the BJP-NDA has not just managed a turnaround in the state but has convincingly defeated the Congress, its arch rival, in a direct contest.

According to the distribution of seats among the alliance partners, the BJP and Congress contested on 75 seats in a direct contest and the BJP has won a majority.

Lesson for BJP

Initially, the Maharashtra polls were considered an uphill task for the BJP and the NDA as the ruling alliance convincingly lost against the Congress-led INDIA alliance in the Lok Sabha battle.

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During the general elections, the INDIA alliance won 30 of the 48 seats with a clear lead in 151 Assembly segments whereas the NDA won only 17 seats with a lead in 137 Assembly seats.

RSS role in Maharashtra

The difference between the performance of NDA in the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra elections is the involvement of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated organisations.

“During the Lok Sabha elections, the entire campaign was personality centric and the RSS and its affiliated organisations took a back seat. This has changed now. The entire strength of Sangh Parivar was at work in Maharashtra. The personality of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the organisation of RSS led Sangh Parivar played a key role in the victory. There is a message for BJP and its leadership. Modi’s charisma remains an important factor but the organisational strength of RSS and Sangh Parivar remains the backbone,” Dilip Deodhar, a Nagpur-based author and observer on RSS, told The Federal.

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Ladli Behna trumps

The Ladli Behna Yojana, which provides Rs.2,100 to women in the state, has again managed to help the BJP-NDA win an election for a third time in one year. The programme, first launched in Madhya Pradesh ahead of Assembly elections in December 2023, helped the BJP to retain power in Maharashtra, Haryana and also in Madhya Pradesh.

Senior leaders of the NDA believe that programmes like Ladli Behna Yojana, grant of Rs.1 lakh to girl child below 18 years, free electricity and subsidy on minimum support price have worked in favour of the NDA.