India’s richest state, Maharashtra, is on the cusp of a significant political shift as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to win a landslide majority in regional elections. The BJP and its allies are leading on close to 220 out of 288 seats.
India’s richest state, Maharashtra, is on the cusp of a significant political shift as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to win a landslide majority in the regional elections. The BJP and its allies are leading on close to 220 out of 288 seats, comfortably surpassing the halfway mark needed to form a government.
Background
This was the first regional election in Maharashtra since the crucial parliamentary polls earlier this year, where Modi returned for a historic third term but lost his majority, forcing him to rely on regional allies to form a government. The state has undergone significant political turmoil in recent years, with the BJP-led coalition staying in power after some lawmakers from the Shiv Sena and National Congress Party (NCP) broke away from their parties and joined the government.
Key Points
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Modi’s party is set to win a landslide majority in Maharashtra.
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The BJP and its allies are leading on close to 220 out of 288 seats.
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This was the first regional election in Maharashtra since the crucial parliamentary polls earlier this year.
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The state has undergone significant political turmoil in recent years, with the BJP-led coalition staying in power after some lawmakers from the Shiv Sena and NCP broke away from their parties and joined the government.
Criticisms
Critics have pointed out that the competing poll promises would mean the new government would face a serious fiscal challenge in delivering them, or risk facing voters’ anger. The state has undergone significant political turmoil in recent years. The BJP-led coalition stayed in power after some lawmakers from the Shiv Sena and NCP broke away from their parties and joined the government.
Jharkhand Election
Meanwhile, Jharkhand, where seven chief ministers have ruled since the state’s formation in 2000, has also witnessed political upheaval in recent months after its chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested in February on corruption charges, which he denied. After his release in June, Soren soon hit the road, trying to capitalise on sympathy votes. While the BJP called Soren corrupt, he alleged that the federal government was unfairly targeting a tribal chief minister. Tribal communities make up nearly 9% of India’s population and remain one of the country’s most marginalised groups. Like Maharashtra, Jharkhand also saw parties promising cash incentives, free power, jobs and health insurance.
