Tales Of The Unnatural INDI Alliance In Two States - Maharashtra And Assam!

INDI Alliance finalises its seat sharing in Maharashtra

INDI Alliance has finalised the seat-sharing agreement in Maharashtra which sends 48 MPs to Lok Sabha, second highest after Uttar Pradesh.

Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest on 21 Lok Sabha seats. Congress will contest on 17 seats and NCP (SP) will fight in 10 Lok Sabha constituencies. This comes after a series of deadlocks and conflicts within the coalition.

For instance, Congress and Sena were at loggerheads over Sangli after Uddhav Thackeray announced Chandrahar Patil’s name.

Congress opposed the decision, arguing that Sangli was party’s traditional bastion and it had two MLAs there. It then announced the name of Vishal Patil, the grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil.

However, Congress has now agreed to vacate the seat in the favour of Uddhav Sena. Such conflicts led to exit of Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi which is now fighting independently.

Now, Congress is making overtures to Ambedkar by offering him a Rajya Sabha seat.

However, he’s made it clear that there’s no possibility of reconciliation.

Shiv Sena (UBT): Jalgaon, Parbhani, Nashik, Palghar, Kalyan, Thane, Raigad, Maval, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Buldhana, Hatkanangale, Shirdi, Sangli, Hingoli, Yavatmal-Washim, Mumbai North West, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai North East.

Congress: Nandurbar, Dhule, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur, Nanded, Jalna, Pune, Latur, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ramtek, Mumbai North, and Mumbai North Central. NCP(SP): Baramati, Shirur, Satara, Bhiwandi, Dindori, Madha, Raver, Wardha, Ahmednagar, and Beed.

Maharashtra's Marathwada Problem:

The Maratha community plans to field its candidates on certain seats in Marathwada region of Maharashtra for the upcoming LS elections due to dissatisfaction against the government for not including them under the OBC category.

Considering this, politicians are worried about the potential vote division on a large scale.

Historical Context:

Experts state that caste agitations and under- development in Marathwada have direct correlation. Once home to mighty empires, Marathwada's decline began in 18th CE under Hyderabad’s Nizam and continues even today due to the apathy of western Maharashtra dominated political class.

Challenges:

Water Scarcity:

Water release demands from Marathwada farmers during summer, is met with resistance from influential sugar barons in western Maharashtra. Thus, marginal farmers are forced to become migrant labourers due to limited opportunities and regional neglect.

Policy Biases:

Marathwada's developmental focus pales compared to Western Maharashtra – be it industrialisation or budget allocations. Education: Literacy is significantly lower than the other regions of the state. Marathwada doesn’t have a single central government run higher educational institution till date.

Unkept Promises:

Water projects like Marathwada Water Grid remain on paper. Krishna-Bhima River Stabilisation Project too is being completed on the Western Maharashtra’s side first.

Telangana Comparisons:

There has been clamour in villages of Marathwada to accede to Telangana on the grounds that the governance and the pace of development there was better.

Addressing Marathwada's grievances is crucial to prevent caste agitations where self-styled leaders from the region hold the entire state to ransom. It is high-time that Maharashtra's political class realises the need for holistic development of all regions and not just that of MMR and Western Maharashtra.

Of all places where unnatural INDI alliance exists, it is poised to help BJP in Dibrugarh!

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is looking at a brute victory against AJP’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Dibrugarh.

The ‘opportunistic alliance’ between the AJP and Congress has only boosted his prospects. AJP was floated as a political party by two influential youth organisations of Assam — AASU and AJYCP which led the Assam movement against the illegal immigrants.

The two bodies have had a highly adversarial relationship with the Congress which ruled Assam for decades and brutally suppressed movements in the state.

AASU & AJYCP have always accused Congress of being anti-Assam and proclaimed Congress to be their ‘prime enemy’ & ‘enemy of Assamese people’.

AASU and AJYCP were at the forefront of the anti-CAA protests in 2019-20 and formed AJP during 2021 assembly polls. AASU’s Lurinjyoti Gogoi became the first president of AJP. Its alliance with Raijor Dal fared poorly with just 3.66% votes.

Lurinjyoti Gogoi contested from 2 seats and came third, behind BJP & Congress, on both.

AJP joined INDI Alliance for 2024 LS polls and was allotted Dibrugarh where its President Lurinjyoti Gogoi will contest. Instead of anti-BJP consolidation, alliance with Congress has led to accusations of compromise for power against Gogoi.

BJP Relishing The Unholy Alliance BJP’s Sonowal, like Gogoi, was in the AASU and then joined Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which ruled Assam for 2 terms and is now BJP’s ally. BJP has made AJP-Congress a major issue in Dibrugarh.

In all meetings, Sonowal and other BJP leaders make it a point to highlight the ‘immoral’ & ‘unprincipled’ alliance. AJP, AASU, and AJYCP supporters — ferocious critics of Congress in the past — are finding it very uncomfortable to hold joint meetings & rallies with Congress.

Congress flags, banners, and workers overshadowing AJP even in Gogoi’s campaign offices has caused unease and heartburn in AJP workers.

The BJP is rubbing it in by telling the electorate that Gogoi’s new leader is Rahul Gandhi. Many are also sceptical of Gogoi’s abilities being no match for Sonowal, a seasoned politician and administrator with a proven track record.

Thus BJP is anticipating a huge victory for Sonowal by a margin of over five lakh votes.