The Shiv Sena-BJP combine has been ruling BMC and Thane Municipal Corporation for 17 and 20 years respectively. The mood in general was against the ruling parties on the issue of pothole-ridden roads, poor garbage management, unclean water bodies, and crumbling city infrastructure.
Yet, the anti-incumbency factor did not work against the Sena-BJP.
Here are the reasons:
1. Several senior Congress leaders, including former central minister Gurudas Kamath, did not work hard for their party’s candidates. Congress leader Ajit Sawat, who was expelled from the party, fielded many rebel candidates against the Congress-NCP. They ate into secular votes, thinning the winning margin.
There was huge infighting in the Congress on several issues. In Thane, it was alleged that many Congress and NCP leaders did not help NCP MLA Jitendra Ahwad.
2. Most of the citizen candidates were powerful and gave the competition a run for their money. Most of them ate into the educated and white-collar secular votes in areas like South Mumbai, which already witnessed low voter turn out. It paved the way for the victory of the Sena-BJP candidates. On the other hand, the Marathi votes did not spit in high margin like they did during the assembly election.
3. Congress-NCP leaders allotted tickets to a lot of their kith and kin, disappointing the loyal party workers. The workers did not work seriously and loyally. Therefore, many kith and kin lost the poll including Gurudas Kamath’s nephew Sameer Desai, Congress MLA Annie Shekhar’s son Vinod Shekhar and MLA Kalidas Kolamkar’s son Prathmesh Kolamkar. Same thing was repeated in Thane.
4. Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was more active this time. And, the senior Thackeray’s charisma worked, because in Mumbai people are emotionally attached to him and his style of working. This time, he was looking fit and fine, pumping life into a crumbling Sena. He became the star campaigner, ably supported by Uddhav and Aditya. On the other hand, the Congress was lacking in the star campaigners who could pull crowds like Balasaheb. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was fighting a lone battle and many Congress leaders wished that only.
5. Reservation for women helped the Sena. Many parties were not getting the right and strong women candidates, but Sena’s women brigade is quite strong compared to all political parties and a majority of them won the election.
6. The Congress was mired in the controversy with several eye popping scams including 2G and Commonwealth Games. In comparison, the Sena-BJP was seen to be better off in the eyes of voters. All scams were fresh in the mind of voters, so the Congress failed to convince the voters and win their trust.
7. Focussing on the local party workers strategy worked for the Sena. Uddhav’s core strength is a strong local network. They helped bring the votes out of the houses and make them vote.
8. Corporate style campaign by Sena. Before the election, Uddhav released various development work advertisements in newspapers and TV channels. One advertisement was very emotional, saying that each bow needs an arrow and Mumbai needs Sena.
Thus, there was huge anti-incumbency, but the Congress-NCP could not cash in on it. It is the collective failure of the congress-NCP. Earlier they thought the voters will vote them like assembly and parliamentary election. Voters are smart they know whom to vote and not.
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