The tsunami of the BJP-led Mahayuti devastated the Congress and the MVA; Here's what made it possible

The massive mandate the BJP got in Maharashtra as well as the strong performance of its alliance (Mahayuti) partners – Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP – is a big boost for the MahaYuti and a serious blow to the Congress and Maha Vikas. It's a shock. Agadhi (MVA). The trend of the results and the victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti have changed the political scenario in the state.

The Mahayuti alliance is set to win around 230 seats and the MVA may have to be content with less than 60 seats.

Here are the highlights of assembly election results in Maharashtra

Several factors worked in favor of the Mahayuti, including the Ladki Bahin plan and strong leadership.

clear alliance strategy

Even before the consensus on seat sharing was reached, the stand of Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar was clearly visible. The three leaders ensured that the question of who would be the CM face after the election results did not come in the way of continuing the alliance.

Also, seat sharing was done keeping in mind the strength of different parties in the Mahayuti.

Welfare schemes and infra projects

The game changing Ladki Bahin Yojana provided the much needed boost to the Government of Maharashtra. At a time when questions were raised on many issues related to farmers and youth, the Mahayuti government launched the scheme to win over women voters. This scheme has proved to be a game-changer for the Mahayuti alliance.

The infrastructure projects and its visibility ensured that the Mahayuti government was viewed positively by the people of the state and urban centres.

targeted campaign

Known for its rigorous election planning, campaigning and door-to-door outreach programmes, the BJP ensured that it does not suffer a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

From booth-level management to voter mobilization, the BJP covered the proverbial last mile when it came to covering the basics of election management.

target demographics

Mahayuti successfully reached out to key voter groups such as women, farmers and urban middle class voters. Credit should be given to the Mahayuti alliance for identifying and working on this strategy.

social media presence

Although the MVA also ran a strong social media campaign, especially the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), the Eknath Shinde-led grand alliance of parties – BJP and Shiv Sena – ensured increased decibels for their major projects.

Opposition lags behind in narrative building

Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) failed to create a narrative against the Mahayuti government this time. Unlike the Lok Sabha elections, there was no 'Save Constitution' rally issue for the MVA.

Although the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP tried hard to corner the coalition government on development issues, lack of jobs and inflation, the results show that the strategy did not really work or work.

The question of CM was raised

The question of who will be the Chief Minister remained a concern in the MVA camp. Comments by Congress state chief Nana Patole and reactions by Sena UBT's Sanjay Raut indicated differences of opinion on the issue. Even Sharad Pawar's assurance in this context did not work.

Rahul's Adani raga and Uddhav's 'traitor' accusation

Rahul Gandhi's continuous attack on Adani and the Congress party's investment of time and energy in cornering business tycoon Gautam Adani on the Dharavi redevelopment issue seems to be backfiring. This issue had no resonance either in the city or in the neighboring districts, leave alone the state.

sector wise performance

Mumbai and Konkan: Mahayuti performed better than MVA in the Konkan and Mumbai belts. Shiv Sena (UBT) performed well in Mumbai and the contest in the city was close. But BJP seems to be winning spectacularly in rural areas.

Western Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar came to the rescue of Mahayuti in the sugar belt and ensured that NCP's traditional seats went in his favor and not for the Sharad Pawar faction.

Vidarbha Resurgence: The biggest talking point in the trends of this election result has been the extremely good performance of Mahayuti in Vidarbha region. Mahayuti ensured that he won the trust of farmers in Vidarbha, resulting in a stronger performance in the assembly elections than in the Lok Sabha elections.