Both ruling Mahayuti and Opposition seem to have strategies in place for local body polls, but one miscalculation could cost each side dearly and completely reshape Maharashtra’s political landscape

(From left) Mahayuti alliance leaders Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar. File pic/Ashish Raje

The ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition are taking risks with the strategies they are planning for the upcoming local body elections. One misstep could prove costly for either side.

On paper, the Mahayuti strategy for the upcoming local body elections looks like a smart and well-timed move in comparison to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) game plan.

But, in politics, even small mistakes can quickly backfire. There is already an invisible unease within the alliance partners — the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). One wrong move in the local elections could easily upset the ruling alliance equations and further widen the crack at the state government level.

In Mumbai, where the Opposition is relatively strong, the Mahayuti (BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party) have chosen unity out of necessity. The Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, are expected to campaign aggressively to capture the Marathi vote. Any split in the ruling alliance could make the task easy for Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

For two........

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