Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | People will react on day of voting just like in Lok Sabha polls: Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: The overall atmosphere in Maharashtra is similar to the Lok Sabha polls where people are silent and would react on the voting day, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar said on Saturday.

“The overall atmosphere is similar to the last election, where people remained silent but reacted on voting day. Those in power have taken serious note of their losses in the Lok Sabha elections,” Pawar said, lashing out at the ruling BJP-led Maha Yuti dispensation. 

“The Maha Yuti is taking various measures to win the elections, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be. People in the state want change, and they will bring about change. The public will stand by Maha Vikas Aghadi,” Pawar told reporters in Satara.

“To please the people, they introduced schemes that gave people more money. However, they haven't provided information on how long these schemes will last. For example, the Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme. They gave Rs 1,500 to two crore women, which made them happy. However, despite spending this money, the impact won’t be significant,” Pawar said about various cash-benefit schemes launched by the Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP dispensation. 

Speaking about women, he said: “On one hand, they offered support, but on the other, crimes against women have increased. In the past two years, there have been 67,000 cases of violence against women – this isn’t a minor issue. There is also information about missing girls and women.”

Targeting BJP’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar said: “Around 64,000 women and girls have gone missing in the state, including in Nagpur, which is home to the Home Minister. While they talk about caring for women, they’re also failing to protect them. This contradiction will have some impact.”

He also addressed issues affecting farmers, saying, "Farmers are suffering as their crops are at risk. In some areas, soybean and cotton are crucial crops, and with high input costs, farmers are frustrated. This frustration is leading to suicides.”

"Another issue is the increase in educational institutions, and while people are receiving education and opportunities, there are no jobs. Youth face unemployment and a lack of opportunities. Our job is to raise these issues, while the government abuses its power," Pawar added.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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