The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections which concluded on Monday was the last phase for Maharashtra, but the task is not yet over for the political parties and their leaders in the state. Still a bigger battle awaits for them with Maharashtra Assembly election are slated to held in September or October.
In Maharashtra Assembly election, 288 seats will be at the fray. The state Assembly election will mark the end of the five-year tenure of the current Assembly. In Maharashtra, two regional parties – Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – along with two national parties – BJP and Congress are the fray. The state Assembly election will be significant for the future of parties such as Shiv Sena, NCP, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). With the assembly elections inching closer Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is aiming to retain power and on the other hand, main Opposition in the state, Congress and NCP, are determined to wrest the power in the state.
A key BJP functionary told the Hindustan Times, “The results of the general polls will show how both the sides are placed in the contest. It will form the basis for our assembly poll strategy.” On the other hand, a top Congress leader told the Hindustan Times, “We are banking heavily on the discontent among various classes, including the rural population. The outcome of Lok Sabha elections will give us an idea of how to chalk out our strategy.”
In 2014 Maharashtra assembly election, all four prominent parties, BJP, Congress, Shiv Sena, and NCP, contested separately. Due to Modi wave, BJP emerged as the single largest party with 122 seats, Shiv Sena came second with 63 seats, while Congress and NCP were reduced to 42 and 41 seats, respectively.