After overcoming the tension in the Uttar Pradesh state executive meeting, the focus of the BJP high command has shifted to Maharashtra. It has started controlling the tension going on between the party and the government in the state. After the big setback in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, once again the high command has taken the charge. Home Minister Amit Shah himself took the charge in the BJP state executive meeting held in Pune. Amit Shah did a great job of giving direction to the slightly confused workers after the Lok Sabha elections. In his address, Amit Shah not only made it clear that the party will not only adopt an aggressive attitude against its main opponents in the elections but will also raise all those weaknesses of the opposition camp with full force, about which the BJP workers were in a state of confusion.
The workers were confused about Ajit Pawar and due to his bitter-sweet relations with Sharad Pawar, even BJP’s own voters were in a state of confusion. On the other hand, due to the split in Shiv Sena and its election symbol being handed over to the Shinde faction, Uddhav Thackeray was getting the sympathy of Shiv Sainiks and Bala Saheb’s supporters. Maharashtra suffered a major setback in the Lok Sabha elections due to Maratha reservation and internal rift. After the setback in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP high command recovered and appointed two new election in-charges in the state. Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav was made in-charge and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav was made co-in-charge. This pair also played an important role in turning the tables in the last few months of the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections and giving the party a historic victory. After the voting in his Lok Sabha constituency Alwar, the high command sent Bhupendra Yadav to Odisha. Both these leaders are more adept at working at the organizational level and fixing it than making statements.
This time too the party high command has started the work of fielding its workers. In the Lok Sabha elections, it was seen that long queues were seen at minority polling booths. At the same time, the attendance was less at the middle class and BJP’s strong booths. Therefore, the first priority was to instill enthusiasm in the workers. The work has now started. And Home Minister Amit Shah has set the agenda for the workers to enter the electoral battle with aggressive attitude. Amit Shah spoke and spoke a lot in the BJP’s state executive meeting in Pune.
Direct attack on Sharad Pawar
The first target was NCP (Sharad faction) supremo Sharad Pawar. With whom will Pawar go – this was a question that often kept the state level leaders of BJP soft towards him. But Amit Shah got the party workers out of this state of confusion. Amit Shah launched a scathing attack and said that Sharad Pawar is the biggest kingpin of corruption. Amit Shah accused Sharad Pawar that whenever BJP government comes to power in Maharashtra, Maratha reservation is given and when Sharad Pawar’s government comes to power, Maratha reservation ends. Shah said that I am saying again that if Sharad Pawar’s government comes again, then Maratha reservation will go away again. There was a lot of uproar during Shinde Sena-BJP on the question of Maratha reservation. But now Amit Shah has given a line to the workers and leaders which will not let them come on the back foot in the assembly.
Bala Saheb’s supporters were appeased
One more thing is clear that the bitterness between Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray faction of BJP is not going to reduce. Amit Shah targeted Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar and said that both are members of Aurangzeb Fan Club. Aurangzeb Fan Club cannot ensure the security of the country because these are the people who fed biryani to Kasab. Aurangzeb Fan Club leader Uddhav Thackeray is sitting in the lap of those who support PFI and oppose Sambhajinagar. Obviously the message was for those Shiv Sainiks and supporters of Bala Saheb whose politics was against the minorities. The message was also for BJP workers that they should not be soft in attacking Uddhav Thackeray now. That is why BJP is also playing its game by putting Eknath Shinde in the forefront so that Shiv Sainiks will go with him.
A sharp attack on the misunderstanding of the Congress
Amit Shah questioned the alliance of Uddhav, Sharad Pawar and Congress. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, he said that the people of the country rejected the Congress’s ‘khatak-tatfaat’ in these elections. There are many examples in the world of becoming arrogant after winning, but Rahul Gandhi is presenting a unique example of becoming arrogant even after losing continuously. Congress has insulted Baba Saheb Ambedkar more than the British. Shah said that if Congress governments are in three states, then why are they not able to implement their announcements. That is, the message to the people of Maharashtra is that Congress only makes populist announcements, it does not fulfill them.
After the Lok Sabha elections, the electoral battle in Maharashtra seems to be a close one. But the BJP has blown the bugle to turn this contest in its favour. But there is still a lot of homework to be done. Firstly, the narrative of distance between the party and the Sangh has to be removed and secondly, its workers and leaders have to be brought to the battlefield. On the lines of the successful Ladli Yojana of Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has implemented a scheme in Maharashtra. One thing the high command knows is that sending money directly to the accounts of women can prove to be a game changer. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Baghnakh with which he killed Afzal Khan has also been brought to India from Britain. Shivaji Maharaj is still worshipped in Maharashtra. Therefore, bringing his memory to India and talking about Maratha heroes can also prove to be beneficial for the BJP. Home Minister Amit Shah has started removing these shortcomings and both the in-charges Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnav have started sharing both the pain and anger of the workers.
Tags: Amit shah, BJP
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 24, 2024, 18:40 IST