BJP, Sena ahead in state race, for now

MUMBAI: Therun-uptotheMaharashtraAssemblypolls,whichon SaturdayweresetforOctober21, wasmarkedbyaraftofdefections to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance, furtherdemoralisinganOpposition— Congress and Nationalist CongressParty(NCP)—already reelingfromitsdebacleintheLok Sabha elections.

At least 18 sitting legislators have quit their parties to join eitherBJPorSenainthepastfive months. One sitting MP, three former MPs and several former ministershavealsoswitchedallegiances.

The main electoral battle is likelytobebetweenthetwomain alliances — BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP, unlike in 2014 when all parties contested separately.

The BJP and Sena are currently locked in seat-sharing talks, while the NCP and Congress have said they will contest 125seatseachinthe288-member assembly, and offer 38 seats to eight smaller allies.

Other contestants in Maharashtra include the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and the AllIndiaMajlis-e-IttehadulMuslimeen(AIMIM),whofoughtthe LokSabhaelectionstogetherbut have called off the alliance that courted votes from the Dalit, OtherBackwardClassandMuslim communities and won one seat.

“Not in the past 30 years has MaharaMaharashtrawitnessedthiskind ht of a one-sided political scenario. BJP is not just preparing for a win, but it is planning a massive scale of victory. As things stand, it seems difficult for the Oppositiontoplaycatch-up,”saidAbhay Deshpande, a political analyst.

The saffron coalition has set a targetof220outofthe288Assembly seats in the coming polls, up from 185 in 2014 polls.

The Opposition says the assumption that the fight was one-sided was false.