As the high-energy campaign for the Maharashtra assembly elections draws to a close on Monday, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) launched a newspaper advertisement war, targeting each other.

The BJP, an alliance partner of the Mahayuti along with Shiv Sena and NCP, issued a newspaper advertisement on Monday, listing incidents from the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to the Covid kit scam and blaming the MVA for them.

The ad features newspaper reports of the 2020 murder of sadhus in Palghar and an allegation that “Uddhav Thackeray stopped the CBI probe into it on Rahul Gandhi’s order,” as well as references to the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, the 1993 Mumbai blasts and the “unhealed wounds,” bomb threats to the Ambanis’ house, corruption allegations, among others.

The caption reads, “MVA – Say no to Congress”.

Similarly, Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance’s advertisement listed Mahayuti’s “failures” and “corruption”.

It mentioned hit-and-run cases, crimes against women, Mahayuti’s “unfulfilled promises,” alleged corruption surrounding Shivaji’s statute, and vacant government posts, among others.

“Enough of anti-Maharashtra governance, time to remove the Bhrashtyuti alliance,” the caption reads, mocking the Mahayuti alliance by using ‘Bhrashtyuti’, with ‘Bhrasht’ meaning corruption.

Maharashtra will head to the polls on November 20. The ruling alliance is optimistic about retaining power, while the MVA aims for a strong comeback. The state has seen a high-energy campaign, with key leaders from both sides holding numerous rallies. The outcome of the election on November 23 will be crucial in determining the fate of both alliances.

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.