The Maharashtra Assembly elections comes as a reality check for the BJP, which ignored ground level issues, and energises the opposition.
The morning of October 24 saw giant sized posters that screamed “Mahrashtra Maha Abhar”(huge thanks) all along the route leading to the Bhartiya Janta Party’s office in Mumbai. Counting had just begun but BJP’s bragging of thanking the people for “huge victory” seemed to ignore that. Flags flicked from green bamboo poles every few metres, even in front of the Shiv sena’s office.
By the evening, when it was clear that the victory was not huge, the number of flags slowly came down and pavement remains began helping themselves to yards of cloth celebrated with the BJP’s lotus symbol. By late evening, chairs placed halfway across the street so that people could view the election results on a giant television screen had disappeared. At night, the pavement remains were cosily wrapped up in their new lotus designed sheets. The BJP office had shut shop early. At a press conference later that evening, Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) party Chief Sharad Pawar deflected praise and gently but pointedly said:”The people of Maharashtra have rejected the BJP’s slogan of Ab ki baar, 200 paar”.