NEW DELHI: Campaigning came to a halt on Monday for high-stakes assembly polls in Maharashtra and the second phase in Jharkhand on November 20, the two states being more than just electoral battles for BJP and Congress, leaders of their respective alliances, with results poised to shape their political narrative and future trajectory. The match-up follows BJP's stunning come-from-behind victory in Haryana and has increased the stake for Congress and its allies to win the two battles in order to regain the momentum they seemed to have after paring down BJP's Lok Sabha tally. BJP obviously wants to build on the advantage it grabbed in Haryana.
In Maharashtra, BJP, through its Mahayuti alliance with Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), is aiming to hold on to the state. The state had witnessed significant political realignments, with splits within its major political entities, creating a complex chessboard for parties to manoeuvre. BJP has highlighted its governance through development projects and economic policies.
The 'Ladki Bahin' scheme was a centrepiece, promising financial assistance to women, aiming to capture the support of this significant voter demographic. Urban areas like Mumbai saw BJP campaign on law enforcement and anti-terrorism, while also subtly promoting its cultural nationalist agenda to consolidate Hindu votes with slogans like 'ek hain to safe hain' and 'batenge to katenge'. BJP has positioned itself as the stable anchor of Mahayuti, pr.