Union Home Minister Amit Shah's two-day visit to Maharashtra this week, aimed at assessing the overall political situation and discussing key issues with party colleagues, was kept a low profile by the BJP. There were no public rallies in Nagpur or Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Shah met with top state party leaders. However, some BJP insiders shared insights with FPJ about the closeddoor discussions. They revealed that Shah's biggest concern was the “lack of vote transfer” from certain alliance partners in some constituencies during the recent Lok Sabha polls, and how to address this issue moving forward.
Shah held meetings with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and leaders Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ashish Shelar and Raosaheb Danve, among others, to discuss the assembly poll strategy and seat-sharing formula. It is believed that the BJP will retain a little over 150 seats in the three-party seat-sharing arrangement, with a focus on Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Western Maharashtra, in addition to Mumbai and Thane.
“Amitbhai's main concern is about how vote transfer didn't occur between the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and BJP in constituencies like Junnar, Baramati, Kolhapur, and several others. He wanted to emphasise that all alliance partners, including the BJP, must fight as a united front and not show disinterest just because a particular constituency is allocated to the alliance partner's candidate. The strong message he conveyed was that our performance is being closely monitored, and our prospects in future elections will depend on how well we perform in these crucial polls. There is particular concern over seats that will be allocated to the NCP,” said a BJP office bearer from Pune, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Maharashtra Elections 2024: MVA Will Make Ladki Bahin Yojana A Rights-based Scheme, Says Former CM Prithviraj Chavan
Growing Unrest Among Party Workers A Concern For BJP
The second concern among BJP's top leadership regarding Maharashtra is the growing unrest among party activists and some leaders over the inclusion of the NCP or the allocation of certain constituencies not going in their favour. This unrest was recently voiced by former BJP MP from Mumbai, Kirit Somaiya, who wrote an open letter to the party's state president and campaign committee chief, expressing frustration over not being given any position for the past few years. Many believe that Somaiya’s letter reflects a broader sentiment within the party.
Amit Shah, during his Maharashtra tour, delivered a message to party leaders: “Those who demand something from the party may not be given what they ask for, but those who work quietly will surely be rewarded.” This statement was seen by many as a response to Kirit Somaiya’s public outburst through his letter.
Amit Shah told the party leaders that Vidarbha with more than 60 assembly seats and Marathwada with 58 assembly seats were key areas for them and they should work along with the alliance partners smoothly in these regions without any friction. Shah is expected to visit Mumbai next week in a bid to take an assessment of crucial Mumbai seats and also make decisions about the Thane and Konkan regions where the party has to negotiate a lot with the Shiv Sena.