RSS PLAYS KEY ROLE IN ENSURING BJP VICTORY IN MAHARASHTRA

After months of high intensity campaigning with special emphasis on welfare schemes like "Ladki Bahin Yojana" and on Hindutva, the results declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday gave a landslide win to the Mahayuti alliance consisting of BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) over the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) and the NCP (Shard Pawar).

- SAURABH SHARMA

The trends suggest a complete turnaround from the recently held Lok Sabha elections where the MVAled alliance secured a massive victory, while the Mahayuti performed miserably.

The recent results highlight the consolidation of Hindu votes for BJP in Maharashtra and the Opposition's failure which continued to target BJP-RSS for creating 'hatred' and 'polarisation'.

Observers suggest that the turnaround has to a large extent to do with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party working like clockwork, unlike in the Lok Sabha elections, where there was speculation that the RSS was not present much on the ground.

But that things were back on track became obvious in the Haryana elections and the trend continued in Maharashtra.