Can Mahayuti survive where Shivaji’s statue falls, farmers take their own lives, and women are unsafe?
The people’s mandate in Maharashtra has been repeatedly sidelined as power struggles, horse trading and shifting alliances take precedence. BJP’s “Operation Lotus” has resulted in two NCPs and two Shiv Senas contesting in this Maharashtra assembly election.
The Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP appears to be losing its credibility among voters, as reflected in recent sentiment and electoral trends. This shift in public opinion was especially noticeable in the outcomes of the Lok Sabha election, where voters showed a clear desire for change in governance.
Voters have routinely ousted ruling governments due to concerns over corruption, soaring inflation, unemployement, farmers’ struggles, and women’s safety. All these challenges exists in Maharashtra, and the ruling Mahayuti alliance is likely to lose in the upcoming state election.
“Congress Ki Loot—Jindageke Sath Be—Or Jindageke Baad Be”, said PM Modi during the campaign for 2024 general election. The combined total of all the loot by the BJP since 2014 far exceeds the scams during UPA II and is likely greater than what the Congress looted since Independence.
The collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Rajkot Fort highlights how corruption has compromised construction quality and materials. Prime Minister Modi apologised for the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue although he didn’t use his famous quotes like “Yeh Act of God Nahi, Yeh Fraud Hai.
Agrarian Crisis
Maharashtra is the number one State in farmers’ suicides in India. In Maharashtra, 1,267 farmers have tragically taken their own lives in six months in 2024. The total number of suicides among farmers in Maharashtra was 2,851 in 2023, 2,942 in 2022, and 2,740 in 2021.
The MSP for crops like soybean and cotton is more than just an option. The government can step in and buy directly if middlemen manipulate prices. All it would require is large storage facilities. The government could have built at least one such storage facility in every district—by spending slightly more than they did on the collapsed statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg. They could have named all the godowns after Shivaji Maharaj. But, of course, that wouldn’t leave room for looting public funds.
Farmers across the state are voicing grievances about receiving little to no compensation from insurance companies, despite paying their full premiums. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra state government seems indifferent to helping them secure their rightful claims.
The government considers efforts like recharging tubewells, rejuvenating surface water bodies such as lakes, ponds, wells, and building contour bunds to combat climate change as foolishness.
Maharashtra accounts for 24% of India’s drought-prone areas. Yet the government shows little interest in implementing scientifically proven methods to conserve surface and groundwater. Landless Dalits are the hardest hit, with no work available in villages for their survival.
Maharashtra leads the nation with its large budget size, highest GSDP, and second-highest per capita income, following Punjab and Gujarat. However, despite its impressive development metrics, it remains among six states alongside Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal—that account for 70% of India’s poor.
Now loading…
Law and Order Situation in Maharashtra
Maharashtra tops the nation in rioting cases, a troubling trend under the current BJP-led government. The state also ranks third in murders and fourth in rapes, highlighting significant concerns regarding law and order. The murder of Baba Siddique serves as a stark example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra.
In India, a woman is raped every 15 minutes, based on reported incidents available through the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This data reflects cases that were officially reported to the police.
This means we are living in a harsh reality where many of our daughters or sisters, who go out each day to work or attend school, may never return home. It’s possible that their bodies could be discovered days later in a secluded area, or they could be found lying unconscious on the road after enduring a brutal gang rape. These are the cases that make headlines, but countless others remain hidden, with several instances where the police have been reluctant to even register a complaint.
Many victims of sexual harassment often feel too afraid to tell their parents. Even if they do, the parents may hesitate to approach the police, fearing their daughter will face further harassment from law enforcement and in court. The likelihood of the offender being punished is slim, especially if they are wealthy and influential. Families also worry that the stigma surrounding the incident could negatively impact the girl’s future prospects, including her marriage and career.
Appeasement Politics
The Mahayuti in Maharashtra and the BJP at the center have done nothing to address the rising number of rapes in India. Instead, they tried to exclude ‘marital rape’ to bring down the numbers. PM Modi and BJP leaders are better mathematicians than Aryabhata. In a bid to appease voters in Maharashtra, the Union Cabinet has recently conferred classical language status on Marathi.
On August 17, 2024, the Maharashtra government launched the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, offering ₹1,500 monthly to women aged 21–65 with a family income under ₹2.5 lakh. Aimed at improving women’s health, nutrition, and economic independence. The state government also announced a Diwali Bonus as part of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, wherein an additional installment of ₹3,000 is deposited into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The state government waived electricity bills for farmers using water pumps below 7.5 HP, while the Mahayuti promised an additional ₹6,000 from the state on top of the ₹6,000 provided under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana. Albert Einstein’s quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” perfectly captures the government’s repetitive approach.
Now loading…
Due to the freebies promised months before the assembly election, the state’s fiscal deficit has risen from ₹1.10 lakh crore in June to ₹2 lakh crore in October, while its debt burden has surpassed ₹7 lakh crore, the second-highest in the country. These appeasement schemes can be seen as a legal form of cash for votes.
Many development projects originally intended for Maharashtra were shifted to Gujarat, such as the International Financial Services Centre, which was planned for Mumbai during Manmohan Singh’s regime in 2006, and the C-295 aircraft factory, which was moved from Nagpur to Vadodara. These moves, as alleged by Congress leaders, will also work against the Mahayuti.
Even the Maha Vikas Aghadi, led by Congress, isn’t as spotless as it seems. NCP and Congress leaders were implicated in the alleged irrigation scam. The 2012 Economic Survey revealed that the state’s irrigation potential had increased by only 0.1% over the past decade, despite ₹70,000 crore being spent on various projects. But continuing to elect the BJP-led Mahayuti despite years of poor governance will not help the poor in the state
The extreme polarisation on caste lines, and identity politics in Maharashtra are so intense that some voters still support BJP, despite poor governance. However, the BJP and Mahayuti are likely to lose the upcoming Maharashtra election. It will help the Union government understand that people are unhappy with its corrupt governance, appeasement, and opportunism.
