Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was leading a roadshow in Nagpur, Maharashtra, yesterday when a group of BJP supporters waved party flags from atop a building. Responding with a smile, Ms. Gandhi Vadra wished them good luck for the Assembly elections scheduled for Wednesday. However, she added a parting remark, asserting that the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance—comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction—would emerge victorious in the polls.
Nagpur, considered a BJP stronghold, is home to the headquarters of the party’s ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Nagpur Lok Sabha seat has been held by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari since 2014, with the BJP currently controlling four of the city’s six Assembly segments.
गढ़ में घुस कर ललकारना इसे कहते हैं
नागपुर में गरजीं @priyankagandhi
RSS और भाजपा वालों शुभकामनाएँ लेकिन जीतेगी तो महाविकास आघाड़ी ही! pic.twitter.com/YMj5ynuvpg
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) November 17, 2024
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, contesting her first election in the Wayanad bypoll, led a roadshow in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on the final day of campaigning for the November 20 Assembly polls. The roadshow, which drew a large crowd, passed through the Nagpur West and Nagpur Central constituencies. Nagpur West is currently held by the Congress, while Nagpur Central has been with the BJP since 2009.
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As her campaign vehicle made its way through the streets, Ms. Gandhi Vadra waved to supporters gathered on roadsides and rooftops. Towards the end of the rally, a group of people waving BJP flags and chanting slogans appeared on a building along the route. Congress supporters responded with their own slogans. Addressing the BJP supporters through a microphone, Ms. Gandhi Vadra said, “Friends in the BJP, wish you all the best for the election. But it is the Maha Vikas Aghadi that will win.” Her remark was met with loud cheers from Congress supporters.
According to a PTI report, tensions arose when Congress candidate for Nagpur Central, Bunty Shelke, and BJP supporters engaged in a heated exchange after the roadshow. Local police intervened and ensured the situation did not escalate further.
Maharashtra will head to polls on Wednesday in a closely watched electoral battle. In the previous Assembly election, the NDA alliance of the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena secured a landslide victory, winning 161 of the 288 seats. However, their alliance broke down over a disagreement on rotational Chief Ministership. This led to Uddhav Thackeray forging an alliance with Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
The MVA government collapsed in 2022 when Eknath Shinde led a revolt that split the Shiv Sena. Shinde’s faction allied with the BJP, while Ajit Pawar’s subsequent rebellion divided the NCP. Ajit Pawar joined the ruling coalition, placing the Shiv Sena and NCP factions on opposing sides in this election, which has become a high-stakes contest.
In the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, the Opposition bloc of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) achieved a significant victory, winning 30 out of Maharashtra’s 48 seats. The Mahayuti alliance secured 17. The Maha Vikas Aghadi is now aiming for a decisive win in the Assembly polls, while the Mahayuti is determined to recover from its Lok Sabha losses.
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