Maha 'yudh' unfolds in Maharashtra; 'peeping' Kharge steals spotlight from Priyanka's nomination filing

Lights, camera, ELECTIONS!

Now that we have not-so-subtly launched the theme of this week’s political theatre, we will have you know that what follows is not for the weak-hearted. Ever heard of the phrase 'blood is thicker than water'? Yeah, that concept does not apply in these elections. As you read this newsletter, let us tell you that there will be drama, deceit, and debate, and that is just the beginning. So dear readers, we recommend you grab a cold drink and increase the fan speed because you will feel the heat with each scroll.

Maha ‘yudh’ in Maharashtra as MVA, MY lock horns

It is no surprise that the political pot in Maharashtra has boiled up to its brim ahead of the November 20 assembly elections, with both Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayuti assiduously jotting down their seat-sharing strategies. 

Emboldened by its success in the Haryana elections, the BJP, in tandem with the RSS, has quietly doubled down its efforts in poll-bound Maharashtra to counter the Congress' 'Save Constitution' campaign hinged on Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a caste census that inflicted widespread damage to the ruling BJP-Sena Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Haryana outcome has made the BJP and its allies more optimistic about their prospects in upcoming elections.

After days of confusion, friction and war-of-words, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has managed to reach a formula of 85-85-85 seats even as discussions were under way over candidates to field from 15 more seats. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said the Mahayuti has finalised distribution of 278 of the 288 assembly seats in the state.

In a big blow to MVA, Zeeshan Siddique, son of slain politician Baba Siddique, on Friday joined Ajit Pawar's NCP and will contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Bandra East constituency. Zeeshan yesterday had slammed the Shiv Sena (UBT) saying, "staying together was never in their nature."

Meanwhile, in a significant development in Nashik politics and the family of Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal - the veteran OBC leader’s nephew Sameer Bhujbal has resigned from the NCP and is set to contest the Nandgaon seat as an Independent. What was the phase again? Blood … water … you get the point. 

While witnessing the Maharashtra battle unfold is a nail-biting experience over all, there are some regions that have been raising the political temperature of the state. 

The hustling-bustling town of Baramati in Pune district would once again witness a high-voltage Pawar-vs-Pawar electoral battle. Akin to the Lok Sabha polls, the focal point of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections would also be Baramati, which is synonymous with the Pawar-family. It’s final now - that the fight is between Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar and his nephew Yugendra Pawar, who has been nominated by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). 

On the other hand, the eyeball-to-eyeball political conflict in the Western Maharashtra region, also known as the Pune division or 'the sugar bowl', will decide which is the real NCP. Over the past 25 years, the undivided NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, has been a big player in the region. However, the July 2023 split engineered by his nephew Ajit Pawar changed the equations in the state.

Meanwhile, Marathwada has been witnessing a demand for reservation by the Maratha community and resistance by the Other Backward Classes. For over a year, Ambad in Jalna district has been the hub of quota politics.

The Maratha reservation demand is the number 1 poll issue in the state and it has already hit the ruling Maha Yuti hard during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Manoj Jarange-Patil set the ball rolling this week by undertaking district-wise reviews and interviewing candidates. 

“We will ensure that Marathas get reservation and I mean it,” Jarange-Patil told DH during a free-wheeling interview at his village. 

Peeping Kharge becomes hot topic, BJP, Congress wrangle over reality

Slamming the Congress for alleged disrespect of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, the BJP on Wednesday shared videos of Kharge peeping through the gate at the time they claimed Priyanka Gandhi was inside with her family filing her nomination papers for Wayanad. However, in the photos shared of the nomination filing, the Congress President could be seen sitting right next to Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress later refuted these allegations and dubbed them as BJP’s lies.

This comes as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday filed the nomination for her maiden electoral battle from Wayanad for the Lok Sabha bypoll as she took out a massive roadshow in Kalpetta.

Ahead of filing her nomination, Priyanka held a rally along with her brother Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. However, her BJP rival, Navya Haridas alleged that the huge turnout at the roadshow was ensured by bringing people from other districts, including Thrissur, under false pretences. Haridas, the BJP candidate in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, alleged that people were brought there under the pretext of taking them for a shoot or a trip to the tourist spots in Wayanad and that is how there was a huge turnout for the roadshow. 

While the siblings joked and laughed as the took part in the rally, the BJP did not quite digest their humour very well. A day after she filed her nomination for the Wayanad bypoll, the BJP questioned the Congress leader over the assets declared by her in the nomination affidavit. Calling it a “confession of corruption”, the BJP said that this is a “victory of dynastic politics”. "The entire country is asking Sonia Gandhi ji, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to furnish an explanation what were the means of this prima facie ill-gotten wealth, quid pro quo, 'commissionkhori'... Robert Vadra ...crime master gogo 'aaya hoon to kuch to leke jaunga'."

This comes after Congress' general secretary Priyanka Gandhi declared assets worth over Rs 12 crore.

Patience, glass and all things shattered at Waqf meeting

High drama was witnessed at the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 on Tuesday after Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee lost his cool and smashed a glass bottle of water, which led to his eventual suspension from the next meeting of the Committee. Calling the incident “unprecedented”, chairman of the committee BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said that Banerjee then flung the broken bottle at him. 

The DMK MP and a member of the parliamentary committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, A Raja accused the panel's chairman Jagdambika Pal of violating norms by speaking to the media about the incident of an opposition member smashing a glass. He alleged that Pal, a seasoned BJP MP, has been conducting the panel's meetings in haste, raising doubts that it will not be able to serve justice. This comes as the BJP and opposition members in the committee have been engaged in bitter spats over the meeting's proceedings on the issue of the contentious bill, described as a necessary reform by the government and slammed as an interference in the religious affairs of Muslims by I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties.

The battle for Channapatna 

Former Karnataka Minister C P Yogeeshwara, who joined the Congress after quitting BJP, on Thursday filed his nomination as the grand old party's candidate for the November 13 Assembly bypoll from Channapatna, amid a show of strength.

Yogeshwar ditched the BJP and joined the Congress on Wednesday, broiling the poll pot at Channapatna where the JD(S) will now be locked in a straight fight with its arch-rival in the November 13 bypoll. Meanwhile, the BJP-JD(S) combine announced Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy as the candidate for the Channapatna bypoll, making it a litmus test for the Gowda family scion. 

Blurring boundaries

Blur is an understatement for how leaders have used matters, issues and controversies from other states to take down rivals elsewhere. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the JMM-led coalition government in Jharkhand, saying it is "deadlier than severe cyclonic storm Dana" and warned that if re-elected, it would wreak havoc in the state.

Meanwhile, Yogiji has debuted in Maharashtra with his posters put up in the state bearing the message "batenge to katenge", implying the disastrous impact of division, have come up in several parts of Mumbai.

BRICS, borders, and burgers

Prime Minister Modi has been out and about this week attending the BRICS summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Modi used the BRICS summit in Russia to showcase ambitions for a more harmonious relationship between the world's two most populous countries after years of animosity.

What followed was the disengagement of troops of India and China started on Friday at two friction points in Demchok and Depsang Plains in Eastern Ladakh sector.

This comes after a major breakthrough in ending the over four-year-long military standoff as India on Monday announced that it has reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Let’s now talk about US presidential elections, shall we? What comes to your mind when we say elections? If your answer includes campaign, rallies and all things serious you have missed an important element - burgers!

With the US presidential election just over two weeks away, Democrat Kamala Harris visited two churches while her Republican rival, Donald Trump, visited another kind of American temple: a McDonald's, where he again accused Harris of lying about having previously worked at the fast-food chain.

You get what we meant in the beginning? This week really has been tumultuous. 

Until next time, 

Stay healthy and well(informed)

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DH Newsletters Team