Lessons from Lok Sabha poll loss, farm initiatives help Mahayuti sweep north Maharashtra

Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) The Mahayuti managed to tide over its poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls in north Maharashtra on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'ek hai toh safe hai' slogan and some key initiatives targeting farmers to win 44 of 47 seats in the assembly elections.

Implementation of the Nilwande dam project and announcement of river linking plans like the Nar-Par project as well as moves to win back the support of onion farmers paid rich dividends in Nashik, Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, and Nandurbar districts, a BJP functionary said.

The losses in the Lok Sabha polls, including that of then Union minister Bharti Pawar, led to the Mahayuti working diligently and unitedly to win back the confidence of people, he added.

"We won 44 of 47 seats in Nashik, Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, and Nandurbar districts. The Mahayuti won every seat in Jalgaon and Dhule districts, as well as 14 out of 15 seats in Nashik and 11 out of 12 in Ahilyanagar," he said.

The Congress won in Shrirampur and Navapur seats, while AIMIM retained Malegaon Central seat in Nashik.

Key figures from Mahayuti, including BJP's Girish Mahajan and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, along with Shiv Sena's Dada Bhuse, worked diligently to energise the grassroot structure through regular communication with local units for timely feedback, he said.

While Vikhe Patil focused his efforts on Ahilyanagar, Mahajan and Bhuse targeted Jalgaon, Dhule, and Nashik, the BJP functionary said.

"In response to discontent among onion growers, particularly in Nashik and Ahilyanagar, the Central government lifted the minimum export price (MEP) on onions and reduced export duty from 40 per cent to 20 per cent. This decision enabled farmers to secure competitive prices for their produce, further bolstering the alliance's support," he said.

Additionally, a subtle campaign aimed at reminding traditional Mahayuti voters of the bloc voting behaviour seen in Malegaon Central during the Lok Sabha elections also played a crucial role in galvanising support, he said.

The Mahayuti swept the polls to the 288-member assembly, with BJP bagging 132 seats while Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena got 57 and 41 went into the kitty of the NCP. The opposition Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar managed to win just 16, 20 and 10 seats, respectively. PTI ND BNM