MahaRushtra: Maharashtra may be this election’s most complicated battleground. No wonder, parties are in scrabble mode

It was down to the wire on Wednesday for Mahayuti (BJP, Shinde Sena & Ajit’s NCP) as the alliance in power scrambled to agree on a candidate for the Vidarbha region constituency of Yavatmal Washim. Today’s the last day to file nominations for phase 2 on April 26, when Yavatmal votes. Mahayuti infighting prompted Amit Shah to tell the parties to stop squabbling. Break-up of NCP and Sena has complicated matters for all six – BJP, Congress, the two NCPs and the two Senas. But as things stand, Mahayuti is struggling more to (1) finalise party-wise seat allocation of over 12 seats, (2) find candidates for seats and (3) tackle rebels both inter-party andintra-party.

Bosses in Buldhana | But for the Mahayuti tussle here, this Vidarbha seat would unlikely be on poll pundits’ radar. Shinde Sena got Buldhana, which BJP also wanted, and fielded Sena’s sitting MP Pratap Jadhav. Local BJP was miffed, a BJP neta filed his nomination as well. EC’s website, in fact, shows the BJP chap has filed two nominations – one as BJP, another as an Independent. Shinde Sena’s dared him to stay in the contest. Even the local Sena MLA filed his nomination, but said he’ll withdraw, now that Pratap Jadhav is decidedly Mahayuti’s official candidate. The wrangle exemplifies what party brasses are up against.

Miles to go, MVA | Four prestige seats are causing great consternation in the Congress-UBT Sena-Pawar NCP camp. UBT’s offered Mumbai North to Congress, which is yet to decide. The other worry is what to do with Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA. NCP’s keen to bring the party on, but Congress and UBT aren’t. So VBA’s decided candidates for 20 seats – it’s angry Congress fielded a candidate in Akola, Prakash Ambedkar’s seat, but has also said he’ll support Supriya Sule. Whether such mixed messaging has any electoral impact will be known on June 4.

Baramati’s beti-bahu | Supriya Sule takes us to Baramati – Pawars’ empire where NCP meets NCP. A battle where Supriya has lamented she must contest against close family, Ajit Pawar’s wife. Baramati is certainly not the only seat where family’s pitted against family, but it’s likely the only one that will not only decide a Lok Sabha winner, but also who voters ‘bless’ as keeper of the Pawar sprawl.

Poaching and parting of ways continues apace. It speaks to Maharashtra’s rich political traditions that a Ram temple isn’t enough, that it’s still the ban on onion exports that’s making farmers teary. And that local concerns are at least as important as national messages.

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