Mumbai, Aug 5: The Shiv Sena(UBT) has launched a sharp political commentary targeting the Centre, alleging that recent developments and youth-led protests signify growing public discontent.

An editorial in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on Wednesday asserted that electoral outcomes across various regional contests, especially in Bankipur and Datia, reflect shifting voter sentiments regarding governance and socio-economic issues.

The editorial critiqued the ruling party’s legislative approach and claimed that public dissatisfaction is mounting across both national and state levels.

Analysing recent Assembly and regional contests, the editorial highlighted gains by alternative political forces and argued that traditional vote banks are being re-evaluated based on local priorities, employment, and regional development.

According to the editorial, youth have already mounted a challenge against the BJP-led government’s dictatorial functioning. The Assembly by-election results in Bankipur and Datia represent a clear mandate against their corrupt government. The public has taken revenge for the ‘pellet guns’ through these by-election defeats. The beginning of the end of BJP’s politics under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah has commenced.

The editorial said that the ‘Jantar Mantar’ agitation has rattled the Modi government and the results of the by-elections have struck a blow to the BJP’s high-handedness. While the arrogance of the BJP leadership was defeated in the Bihar and Madhya Pradesh by-elections, the BJP managed to retain the Manjalpur Assembly seat in Gujarat. These results mirror the growing restlessness in the Indian public.

“Calling these by-elections ‘mini general elections’ or a ‘mirror of the public mood’ might be an exaggeration. Nonetheless, the results clearly illustrate the current trajectory of political developments,” remarked the editorial.

The editorial further stated that the Bankipur seat was vacated by BJP National President Nitin Nabin and it had been a traditional BJP stronghold since 1995. Prashant Kishor breached this impenetrable fortress of the BJP, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate was pushed to third place. Notably, the BJP’s National President failed to retain his own home turf, which must be viewed as a defeat for the entire BJP.

“BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad had brazenly boasted that even if the BJP fielded a dog or a cat in Bankipur, the people would vote for them. They took the voters for granted and tried to fool them, but it backfired. This victory earned Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraag Party a presence in the Assembly. The public rejected Tejashwi Yadav due to his lack of consistency and because the people of Bihar have grown tired of caste politics, prioritising education and employment instead. In the Bankipur constituency, where Muslims and Yadavas form a majority, voters chose to back Prashant Kishor over the Rashtriya Janata Dal. This transformation in Bihar’s politics sets a new direction,” observed the Thackeray camp.

The editorial argued that the young voters in Bankipur dismantled the BJP’s prospects following the ‘Gen Z’ movement at Jantar Mantar. This serves as a stern lesson for the party. Some analysts might suggest that the BJP itself enabled Prashant Kishor’s victory to douse the burning issues surrounding ‘Jantar Mantar’ and the Ram Temple loot, but such claims lack substance.

“What transpired in Bankipur was mirrored in Datia constituency, where Congress’ Ghanshyam Singh defeated the BJP candidate. This seat had fallen vacant following the disqualification of a Congress MLA. Despite the BJP deploying every trick in the book — by hook or by crook — the public rejected them. While it comes as no surprise that the BJP retained Gujarat’s Manjalpur seat, its reputation suffered irreparable damage in Bankipur and Datia,” claimed the editorial.

“The BJP suffered these defeats despite being in power in both Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. While by-election victories cannot be deemed an absolute national mandate, history shows that several by-elections in Indian politics have brought about a complete change of wind,” said the editorial.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said that the current defeats in Bankipur and Datia have shown that the BJP’s confidence appears shaken over issues like the attacks on Jantar Mantar protesters and temple financial improprieties. “PM Modi and Home Minister Shah have virtually retreated from parliamentary debate. While the BJP has engineered splits in opposition parties and built a majority by poaching regional MPs, the opposition continues to stand firm,” it noted.

The editorial concluded that with young voters taking to the streets against authoritarianism, the purchased majority holds little weight in Parliament or among the public. “These by-election results are a clear verdict against a corrupt administration. If the opposition sets aside its internal ego, the downfall of this authoritarian power is inevitable,” it said.