BJP President Amit Shah flanked by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the announcement of an alliance between Shiv Sena and BJP for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, in Mumbai, Monday, Feb 18, 2019.
Credit: PTI File Photo
There is little doubt that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled Maharashtra uninterruptedly since 2014, except the 31-month-long stint of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, has become the western state's dominant party.
The party has been the single largest party in the state for the last two assembly elections and steadfastly expanded its pan-state footprint.
The saffron party has thrived on the unwavering support of a broad coalition of castes, bolstered by a dedicated network of workers, many of whom are part of its ideological foundation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). However, the party's winning streak was halted this year during the Lok Sabha elections, resulting in a drop from 23 seats in 2019 to just nine, well short of a parliamentary majority.
After its dismal performance, the BJP is now looking to reverse its fortunes in the upcoming elections, while the Congress-led opposition aims to challenge the Mahayuti government.
But before that, here’s a look at how BJP performed in the 2019 assembly elections.
In the 2019 assembly polls, the BJP and Shiv Sena agreed on a seat-sharing formula of 164-124. The BJP fielded 150 candidates, while 14 seats were allocated to other constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The BJP had won 103 seats while alliance partner Sena had secured a clear mandate on 56 seats. Together, the saffron alliance's final tally stood at 159.
The opposition tally stood at 100 with the Congress winning 46 out of 147 seats it contested and NCP bagging 54 of the 121 seats it contested
Although the alliance returned to power, it did so with a reduced mandate. The BJP-Shiv Sena tally fell by 29 seats, while the Congress-NCP coalition gained 21 seats compared to their 2014 performance.
The alliance suffered losses in Vidarbha and western Maharashtra, with nine Ministers losing in the election.
Since no single party got an absolute majority and the government could not be formed within the stipulated time, President's Rule was imposed in the state.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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