Mumbai: With less than a week remaining for the Maharashtra assembly elections, political parties have intensified their campaigns. Expressing confidence that Mahayuti will come to power again in Maharashtra, NCP chief and Dy CM Ajit Pawar said that alliance will win more than 175 seats. There are total 288 assemblies in Maharashtra and a minimum 144 seats are required to form the government.
This will be the second direct face-off between Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Ajit Pawar is facing direct contest with his nephew Yugendra Pawar from hometown and political bastion, Baramati. Speaking with ANI he said, "I will win from Baramati with more than 1 lakh votes." Notably, this is the second electoral fighting within the Pawar family. During 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra unsuccessfully contested against sister-in-law and sitting MP Supriya Sule from Baramati.
Widening Rift Within Mahayuti
Although, NCP chief Ajit Pawar has expressed confidence of Mahayuti crossing the majority mark, the tensions within the Mahayuti are known. Despite BJP's resistance, Ajit Pawar not only fielded NCP leader Nawab Malik in the assembly polls but also campaigned for him in Mumbai's Mankhurd. The official Mahayuti candidate from Mankhurd is Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Suresh Patil.
In a recent TV interview, Ajit Pawar also voiced his disapproval of the BJP's slogan 'batenge toh katenge' stating that such divisive rhetoric would not resonate with voters in Maharashtra. The slogan was first used by UP CM Yogi Adityanath in one of his speeches.
Meanwhile, after Dy CM Ajit Pawar, CM Eknath Shinde has also been 'downsized' by the BJP in its election campaign posters. Recently, several BJP assembly poll posters were seen featuring Eknath Shinde's passport-size photo, although the party claims they are contesting the election under his leadership.
Previously, some posters had gone viral for Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's photo being missing from them.
