Gujarat State units of BJP and Congress have deployed teams of selected workers from various parts of the State to help their Maharashtra counterparts in five cornered Assembly elections.
Both the major parties are going alone in the Assembly elections without their respective longtime allies in Maharashtra. The BJP is fighting elections without Shiv Sena in the State after almost 25 years. Same is the case with the oldest political party in the country. The Congress is also going solo after almost one and half decades without Sharad Pawar’s political outfit Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) support.
The regional parties — Shiv Sena and NCP — have a stronghold in Maharashtra and they are set to eat up a sizable number of votes in the ensuing Assembly elections. Besides, another regional political outfit, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will also play important role in the election.
In such scenario the two major national parties — the BJP and the Congress would require more number of workers in election campaign as well as on the day of voting — October 15.
Gujarat BJP has deployed more than 1,000 party workers in neighbouring Maharashtra. These party cadres include Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, four Ministers — Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Ramanlal Vora, Shanker Chaudhary and Rajani Patel. Besides, two senior Gujarat BJP organisational leaders — IK Jadeja and Bhikhu Dalasania, six Members of Parliament and 16 MlAs have also camped in the neighbouring State.
Of the 288 Assembly constituencies, there are at least 70 seats are influenced by Gujaratis, especially in North Maharashtra, Mumbai and Pune regions. Moreover, there are 60 seats where the BJP does not have grassroot base due to long coalition with the Shiv Sena, said a senior Gujarat BJP leader.
Gujarat BJP cadres are well organised compared to their counterparts in Maharashtra as far as election campaigning and strategies are concerned, he said adding that their experience for micro level booth wise planning would be handy for the Maharashtra BJP unit.
Sources in the Congress said that nearly 500 party members have gone to the neighbouring State. Apart from Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Arjun Modhvadia, leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, former Union Ministers - Bharatsinh Solanki, Tushar Chaudhary, hundreds of party workers from South Gujarat, Vadodara and Saurashtra region have reached to Maharashtra.
Their focus is on constituencies of bordering districts as well as Mumbai.
“Gujarat Congress leaders and workers would disclose reality of Gujarat before the Maharashtra voters. They would tell them about the plight of farmers and how hype has been created in the name of development in the State,” said Gujart Congress spokesman Manish Doshi.