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With political heavyweight leaders of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) such as former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan facing imminent defeat in Maharashtra, all eyes are on the strategy and tactics adopted by BJP-Shiv Sena alliance for leading to victory.
The winning formula also has some key lessons for Congress-NCP alliance as it also has to face the Maharashtra State Assembly elections in a few months.
Veteran Political Analyst Nagesh Keasri said that BJP-Shiv Sena did one thing right after overcoming all their political difference, just before the announcement of the Parliamentary elections was to fight in each and every constituency as a single integrated unit. The same could not be achieved by the Congress and the NCP, who in spite of having an alliance in the State did not work together in each other’s constituency,
BJP-Shiv Sena alliance were also supported by the fact that they both were chasing the same right-wing voters. The BJP also used all its strength in those constituencies, which were dominated by Shiv Sena as it wanted to enhance the numbers and form the government at the Centre, he said. He also pointed out that the open rebellion in the Congress party by senior leader and Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was not nipped in the bud by the Congress high command. Patil’s rebellion was neither squashed nor addressed. It sent a wrong message among the people, he said.
Transfer of votes
Congress-NCP also took the help of Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), for election campaign but that strategy failed because the supposed transfer of votes from the traditional Shiv Sena voters to Congress-NCP alliance never happened. Plus MNS did not contest in the elections in any of the seats, which reduced its credence among the people, Keasri said.
Political observer Paranjoy Guha Thakurta said that Modi-led BJP has a unique ability to form a political alliance whether it is Maharashtra or Bihar. It is one ability which should be learnt by the Congress and other parties.
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