New Delhi: A weak opposition and an overconfident ruling alliance characterize the assembly elections in the three states—Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh—going to polls on Tuesday. While internal squabbles and the failure to build a comprehensive election campaign have made the opposition parties feeble, too many rebels and complacency could cast a shadow over the prospects of the ruling Congress and its allies in all the three states.
Also See Price rise likely to dent Congress’ two-thirds majority
Also See Election snapshot of Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh (Graphics)
In Maharashtra, a deeply fractured polity is expected to work to the advantage of the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance, despite growing public disillusionment with its 10-year governance record. The state government’s failure in handling internal security, an issue which was revived by the opposition after the killing of 17 policemen in Gadchiroli district, may go against the ruling alliance.
Listen to Mint correspondent, Ruhi Tewari, report on the elections from Maharashtra
Download audio link here
The ruling Congress’ prospects in Haryana could be marred by strong resentment among voters against the rise in prices of essential commodities. Haryana is witnessing a fivecornered fight after both the Bahujan Samaj Party-Haryana Janhit Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party-Indian National Lok Dal alliances broke just a month before the polls.
Although it had been assured of a cakewalk in the Arunachal Pradesh election after the BJP’s nine MLAs and former Lok Sabha member of Parliament Kiren Rijiju defected to the Congress, the ruling party faces a tough fight from its own allies NCP and the All India Trinamool Congress, which have fielded 36 and 26 candidates, respectively.
Graphics by Ahmed Raza Khan / Mint