The race for the Maharashtra Assembly has officially begun, with election campaigns gaining momentum across the state. Major parties, including Congress and BJP, have launched extensive outreach efforts with their star campaigners now on tour. Over the next 13 days, prominent leaders will be addressing rallies across Maharashtra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold 11 rallies starting from November 8, while Rahul Gandhi will kick off his campaign from Nagpur, a known RSS stronghold, on November 6. Campaigning will continue intensively until November 18.
In a major push, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP’s key campaigner, Yogi Adityanath, is set to address 15 rallies across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, and will likely attend more events than PM Modi himself. Political analysts believe Adityanath's presence, along with his controversial slogan "Bantenge toh Katenge," could significantly impact voter sentiments in Maharashtra. Adityanath's campaign influence was recently seen in the Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir assembly elections, where he achieved a strike rate of 90% in Jammu and approximately 65% in Haryana.
In Jammu, BJP secured four out of five seats where Adityanath campaigned, including winning key Muslim-majority constituencies like Kishtwar and Kathua. In Haryana, BJP won 13 out of 20 seats where he held rallies, a crucial factor in BJP’s third successive victory in the state. The "Bantenge to Katenge" slogan, first popularized by Adityanath during the Haryana campaign, has since gained traction, resonating with BJP supporters even in states without upcoming elections. The slogan has also been used by Hindu community members during recent protests in Canada following temple attacks. Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly election, posters featuring Adityanath and the slogan "Bantenge to Katenge" have appeared across Mumbai and other parts of the state, signaling the BJP’s aggressive campaign strategy.
In the last parliamentary elections, the opposition MVA outperformed the BJP, winning 30 of Maharashtra's 48 seats, while the BJP's tally dropped to 9 from 23 in the previous election. The counting of votes for the Assembly polls will take place on November 23. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had in August made a strong pitch for national unity as he cited the turmoil in Bangladesh to warn against the consequences of divisions in society. "Aap dekh rahe hain Bangladesh mein kya ho raha hai? Wo galatiyan yahan nahi honi chahiye. Batenge toh katenge! Ek rahenge to nek rahenge, surakshit rahenge aur samriddhi ki parakashtha ko pahuchenge. (You are seeing what is happening in Bangladesh. Those mistakes should not be repeated here. If we are divided, we will be destroyed. If we are united, we will be secure and we will prosper,” the CM said.