The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which faced a significant defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, is likely to suffer a major setback in the upcoming Assembly elections as well. The BJP, which emerged as the largest party in the state by surpassing the 100-seat mark in the last two Assembly elections, is now concerned due to internal surveys. Similar to the Lok Sabha elections, these surveys predict substantial losses for the BJP in the Assembly elections. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured only nine seats in the state.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is confident that his return to power will be secured with the BJP's support. However, internal surveys have increased the BJP's worries, indicating that the party might win only 55 to 65 seats in the Assembly elections, the New Indian Express reported on Thursday. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats in the state by contesting independently, and in 2019, it secured 105 seats in alliance with Shiv Sena. This time, however, the BJP is expected to face a significant blow, relying heavily on government schemes and voter polarization.
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The Lok Sabha performance has created considerable unrest within Ajit Pawar's faction, leading many of his MLAs to consider returning to Sharad Pawar. Efforts in this direction have already begun. The BJP's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections has affected its workers' morale. Analyses by periodicals associated with the Sangh indicate that the alliance with Ajit Pawar has hurt the BJP, diminishing its brand value. Observer and Vivek have published extensive articles on how this alliance has impacted the BJP.
BJP leaders had previously accused Ajit Pawar of a ₹70,000 crore scam in irrigation projects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also targeted Ajit Pawar over this issue. Despite this, the BJP formed an alliance with Ajit Pawar, causing discontent among its workers. The decision to ally with someone they had ideologically opposed felt unethical to BJP and Sangh workers, as analyzed by Observer and Vivek. There are rumors that the Sangh is pressuring the BJP to break its alliance with Ajit Pawar.
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