PM Modi will enter the battle of Vidarbha
The political heat of Maharashtra assembly elections is increasing day by day. Vidarbha region is considered a stronghold of Congress. Even after Emergency, the people of Vidarbha did not leave Congress. The BJP managed to establish its political roots here in the last ten years, but the 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw cracks in its stronghold. In such a situation, now before the Maharashtra assembly elections, PM Modi is entering the battle of Vidarbha to fix the spoiled political equation of BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a large public meeting in Wardha, Maharashtra on Friday. PM Modi will participate in the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ programme, where he will give certificates and loans to the beneficiaries of the scheme. PM will also release a commemorative postage stamp to mark the completion of one year of Vishwakarma Yojana. Apart from this, PM Modi will also launch Acharya Chanakya Skill Development Scheme and Punyashlok Ahlyabai Holkar Mahila Start-up Scheme.
PM will launch many schemes
Through the Skill Development Scheme, youth aged 15 to 45 years will be trained so that they can become self-reliant. About 1.5 lakh youth of the state will get free skill development training every year. Under the Mahila Startup Scheme, women-led startups in Maharashtra will be assisted in the early stages. Financial assistance up to 25 lakh rupees will be provided under this scheme. PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM Mitra) Park in Amaravati. It will be built on about 1000 acres. Government of India approved setting up of 7 PM Mitra Parks for textile industry.
PM will enter the battle of Vidarbha
PM Modi plans to solve Vidarbha’s political equation by laying the foundation stones of development schemes from Wardha. Although the BJP has done very well in Vidarbha region in the last ten years, the political equations have changed with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Soybean and cotton farmers are believed to be angry with the government. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA alliance faced defeat in the Vidarbha region, while the Congress-led Bharat Alliance made political gains.
What were the results of Vidarbha in the Lok Sabha elections?
If we look at the results of 2024 general elections, out of 10 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha region, BJP has won only two seats while Congress has won five seats. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) has won one seat and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (S) one seat. BJP ally Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena got only one seat. In terms of 2019, Congress gained 4 seats while BJP lost 3 seats and Shinde’s Shiv Sena lost 2 seats.
Vidarbha increased BJP’s tension
The region of Vidarbha has raised political tensions for the BJP and offered a glimmer of hope for the Congress. In such a situation, the process of BJP leaders leaving the party has also accelerated. Veteran Vidarbha leader Gopaldas Aggarwal has left BJP and joined Congress. This is considered a big blow for BJP. This is the reason why PM Modi himself has taken charge and tried to woo people from Wardha, as BJP established its dominance in national politics only after the arrival of Narendra Modi.
How was BJP’s performance in Vidarbha?
To maintain its strong hold on the Vidarbha region, the BJP also worked to shift the caste equation here in its favour. The result was that in the 2014 assembly elections, the BJP managed to win 44 seats out of the total 62 assembly seats in Vidarbha region. Shiv Sena got 4 seats, Congress 10, NCP 1 and others 4. After this, in the 2019 assembly elections, BJP won 29 seats and Shiv Sena 4 seats in Vidarbha region. Congress got 15 seats and NCP 6 seats in Vidarbha. Apart from this, 8 seats were won by others.
2019 election shocks
In the Vidarbha region, the BJP faced a rout in the 2019 assembly elections, when it suffered a loss of 15 seats. After this, the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 have also given a big jolt to the party. Congress seems to be successful in regaining its lost political ground. After leaving the Congress, not only the voters but also the leaders are making a comeback. This is the reason why the fortress of Vidarbha, which has been strong for the BJP for the past ten years, has started to crack and the political tension has increased for the BJP.
Congress is benefiting
Congress leaders from Vidarbha are always known to be close to Delhi leaders. Keeping in mind the caste and political equation, the Congress strengthened its roots in Vidarbha. Vidarbha gave Maharashtra Chief Ministers like Marotarao Kannamwar, Vasantrao Naik and Sudhakarrao Naik. However, the changing political equations and the ousting of the Congress from power at the Center in 2014 led to an internal rift in the Congress in Vidarbha and the BJP and the Shiv Sena took advantage of it, but now the Congress is back in its old colours.
Political Importance of Vidarbha
The place of Vidarbha has always been important in the politics of Maharashtra. Due to the political dominance of the Congress, the BJP has had to struggle for a long time to establish its roots in this Vidarbha region. Nagpur, the largest city of Vidarbha, is the capital of Maharashtra. The headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is located in Nagpur. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari hail from and represent Nagpur. In such a situation, the political importance of Vidarbha for the BJP is understandable, but Nana Patole, who is holding the charge of the state president of the Congress, also hails from this area.
Vidarbha equation
The politics of Vidarbha is decided by farmers, dalit and tribal voters. Role of Dalit Vote: The Dalit community has a large population in Vidarbha and plays an important role in winning and losing. There are many Ambedkarist parties in Maharashtra and their main base is in Vidarbha region. Ramdas Athavale’s party RPI is with BJP.
Dalit voters range from 23 per cent to 36 per cent in many Vidarbha seats. The BJP is getting the advantage of having Athavale with it, but Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has managed to woo the Dalit community on the issue of constitution and reservation in 2024. The Congress has planned to contest the Maharashtra elections on this issue, increasing the challenge for the BJP to change the political equation in Vidarbha in its favour.
