Drought Of Ideas

On April 15, Urmila Matondkar, the newly minted politician, made it clear that she wasn바카라�t about to take any aggression meekly. She was campaigning near Borivali station when some people, allegedly BJP workers, started chanting slogans and a scuffle followed. She filed a police complaint promptly, demanded protection (which was granted, till the end of polling) and criticised the BJP for its anti-women behaviour. Urmila has been a surprise package, with her enthusiasm, preparedness and courage to take on BJP biggie Gopal Shetty in Mumbai North, but Congress-NCP 바카라�stars바카라� aren바카라�t making a big mark elsewhere, and that includes Sharad Pawar바카라�s grand-nephew Parth.

Not a happy situation because the alliance is fighting back from a bleak spot. In 2014, the Congress touched its nadir in Maharashtra바카라�just two out of 48, a drop of 16 seats바카라�and NCP managed just six. This time, with 바카라�56 political and non-political organisations바카라� backing them, they hope to do better. The times ought to be propitious for that: the Modi wave is in retreat under the impact of DeMo, GST and widespread unemployment across rural and mofussil Maharashtra. Loan waivers, MSPs and the anti-drought jalyukt shivar yojana haven바카라�t alleviated the gloom. And yet, people still seem unsure about the Congress-NCP as an alternative.

Only power hub western Maharashtra and Mumbai will be left to vote by this weekend: the first two of four phases covered 17 seats in Vidarbha and most parts of Marathwada, reeling under sev­ere farm and water crises. The themes are largely absent though. The BJP-Sena campaign pitch relies on nati­onalism: extreme polarisation hangs in the air, owing to the beef ban, the Mara­tha marches and violence against Dalits. The latter vote is fragmented: Ramdas Athawale is with the BJP, Prakash Ambedkar has a third front.

Rahul Gandhi바카라�s NYAY gets discussed in village gatherings but, amid high-profile desertions from Congress-NCP, not many believe it to be a game-changer for him. Activist Vijay Jawandia says farmers themselves don바카라�t always vote for their issues. 바카라�Even now people vote on caste lines. That is the reality. Of course, the agrarian crisis is severe and the government has failed us, but will people vote on that issue? I doubt it,바카라� he says.