Nagpur:  With only 24 hours left for the end of public campaign for the state assembly elections, the super Sunday saw both the BJP-led Mahayuti and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi making the last hurrah to woo the voters in Vidarbha, especially its gateway Nagpur. Both the rival combinations are focussing on Vidarbha from where they are contesting maximum seats.

The Congress move to hold a Priyanka Gandhi Vadra roadshow around Badkas Chowk in the Mahal where the RSS is headquartered, saw very tense moments as the BJP workers waiving party flags came in direct confrontation with Congress workers waiving tricolour flag.  The Priyanka show in the city was a big draw as compared to the BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s who drew modest crowds.

Both the roadshows were clearly moves by the two combinations to further consolidate the process of polarisation of voters—on the caste lines by the MVA and on grounds of religion by the BJP. The Congress chose to put on display a waving, smiling Priyanka first in West Nagpur constituency’s Muslim dominated areas. Starting from Awasthi Nagar the Congress juggernaut moved through Zafar Nagar to Ahbab Colony. She then moved on to Badkas Chowk, citadel of the RSS.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka  first reached Wadsa in Gadchiroli district to campaign for the party candidates. The tribal district in last two years has witnessed great strides in mining sector and steel manufacturing for the first time despite stiff opposition from the Naxalite movement active in the district.

Addressing a large poll rally, Priyanka said the Congress and her great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru brought development setting up large public sector factories across the nation in without bias towards any one state. “ Sadly, the Modi government at the Centre is diverting from Maharashtra big investments like microchip plant . Investment worth Ra 10 lakh crore which could have provided 8 lakh jobs to Maharashtra’s youth has been deprived to the state, “ she claimed.

Priyanka arrived  for Nagpur about an hour behind schedule, yet was greeted by large and enthusiastic crowds  that a Gandhi family member always draws here. Her mother was here back in 2004. Now the daughter has stolen the show in a maiden act here. The Kangna Ranaut show was a much low- key affair.

On the other hand, a decked-up Kangana used her film star glamour quotient to woo the voters in Nagpur Central areas in the morning and then moved on to West Nagpur in the afternoon where she travelled between Law College square and Bajaj Nagar inhabited by a cosmopolitan mix. But it was peaceful.

The polarisation process that started with Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Ek hai to safe hai’ call and UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s slogan of ‘Batenge to katenge’ was also completed with the BJP- RSS coming into action aggressively invoking “dharma yudha’ and ‘dharma-hit’ to neutralise the MVA narratives. The call for ‘vote jihad’ by Islamic scholar Maulana Khalilur Rehman Sajjad Nomani and fatwas to vote for the MVA and boycott those who failed to do so, could prove counter- productive for the MVA as it made no effort to distance from it.

On the other, a clear RSS hand was visible when the small (6 cm by 9 cm) voter slip dropped at voters doorsteps gave a loud and clear message to vote 100 % in “Rashtra-hit and Dharma-hit” (to protect nation and the religion).

Pune: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday likened the BIP and the BSS to “poison” and termed them as politically lethal. Addressing a rally in Sangli, on the penultimate day, Kharge cited the analogy of “a poisonous snake” to buttress his contention.

“If there is anything which is politically the most dangerous in India, it is the BJP and the RSS. They are like poison. If a snake bites, the person (who is hitten) dies..such a poisonous snake should be killed,” said Kharge.

In a dig at the BIP, Kharge said the number of leaders who had campaigned in Maharashtra outnumbered the number of party candidates in the fray.

“The Prime Minister, Home Minister (Amit Shah) and other leaders have been here. Today, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also marked his presence. No idea what happened. In UP, 10 children died in a devastating fire at a hospital. Despite that, he did not halt his rallies in the state,” the Congress president said.

Congress President Takes Potshots At PM Modi

Kharge also took potshots at PM Narendra Modi. This is an assembly election and not for electing the prime minister of the country, he said, adding that his (Modi’s) “thirst for authority” is unsatiated. He also slammed Modi for not visiting strife-torn Manipur and instead travelling abroad.

“Modi was here till yesterday. Today he is abroad. Manipur is burning, people are dying, adivasi women are disrespected, and women are raped but Modi never visited Manipur. He is on foreign tours. Today he again overseas. I want to tell him, first look after your home. Make the country strong first. You can go anywhere later,” Kharge added.

In view of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, Central Railway will run special suburban trains on November 19-20, 2024 (Tuesday-Wednesday night) and November 20-21, 2024 (Wednesday-Thursday night) to facilitate the movement of election personnel and the public.

These trains will operate on the Main Line (CSMT-Kalyan) and Harbour Line (CSMT-Panvel), with specific departure and arrival times as listed below.

Schedule for Special Suburban Trains:

1. Tuesday-Wednesday Night (November 19-20, 2024)

Main Line (Down): CSMT – Kalyan Special: Departs CSMT at 03:00 hrs, arrives at Kalyan at 04:30 hrs.

Main Line (UP): Kalyan – CSMT Special: Departs Kalyan at 03:00 hrs, arrives at CSMT at 04:30 hrs.

Harbour Line (Down): CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs CSMT at 03:00 hrs, arrives at Panvel at 04:20 hrs.

Harbour Line (Up): Panvel – CSMT Special 2: Departs Panvel at 03:00 hrs, arrives CSMT at 04:20 hrs.

2. Wednesday-Thursday Night (November 20-21, 2024)

Main Line (Down): CSMT – Kalyan Special: Departs CSMT at 01:10 hrs, arrives at Kalyan at 02:40 hrs.

CSMT – Kalyan Special: Departs CSMT at 02:30 hrs, arrives at Kalyan at 04:00 hrs.

Main Line (Up): Kalyan – CSMT Special: Departs Kalyan at 01:00 hrs, arrives CSMT at 02:30 hrs.

Kalyan – CSMT Special: Departs Kalyan at 02:00 hrs, and arrives at CSMT at 03:30 hrs.

Harbour Line (Down): CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs CSMT at 01:40 hrs, arrives at Panvel at 03:00 hrs.

CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs CSMT at 02:50 hrs, arrives at Panvel at 04:10 hrs.

Harbour Line (Up): CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs Panvel at 01:00 hrs, arrives CSMT at 02:20 hrs.

CSMT- Panvel Special: Departs Panvel at 02:30 hrs, arrives CSMT at 03:50 hrs.

All special trains will halt at all stations between CSMT-Kalyan and CSMT-Panvel, as per the schedules listed above.

These special services are expected to enhance connectivity and ensure the smooth transit of election participants. Passengers are encouraged to take advantage of these additional services for their travel needs on these nights. We hope this initiative will empower voters to exercise their right to vote.