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Ground Report: The Region That Can Swing The Maharashtra Election
Dear Reader,
With the recently concluded Presidential elections in the USA, there's been a lot of chatter about the 'swing states', and how President-elect Donald Trump managed to clean sweep all seven of them for the Republicans.
Back to elections in India. Thanks to our country being in a perpetual election mode (thus One Nation One Election), we always have an election that has either just concluded or is coming up soon.
With Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir done, we have Jharkhand and Maharashtra up next:
Akin to the swing states in the US, today, we have a ground report from the crucial swing region of Maharashtra — Vidarbha.
This report by Banuchander Nagarajan brings insights from a week-long journey through Vidarbha, exploring its history, economic challenges, and political complexities.
Here’s why the region is important:
Historical Neglect: Vidarbha has faced perpetual neglect and resource disparity compared to Mumbai and Western Maharashtra.
Infrastructure and Initiatives: Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari are driving development, from canal networks to the high-profile Samruddhi Expressway, but Vidarbha’s irrigation woes and labour shortages still continue.
Agriculture in Crisis: From debt-laden cotton farmers to failed biofuel projects, Vidarbha’s agricultural sector continues to face challenges. The region has seen extensive farmer suicides.
Read in detail: On The Ground In Vidarbha — Dispatch 1: A Primer On The Region That Could Swing The Maharashtra Election
Until tomorrow,
Anmol N Jain
