To say that the Maharashtra Assembly elections will be a replay of Lok Sabha 2009 is to display huge ignorance and even indifference about the socio-political situation in the state. A very interesting scenario is shaping up in Maharashtra, in which almost all the parties are more interested in defeating someone else, rather than in electing their own candidate. This point is missed by all the opinion polls as well as the pundits. Indeed, this apparently cynical and even self-destructive phenomenon has made the prediction nearly impossible.

The second point which has made the electoral scene appear bizarre is that everywhere the issues are different. For the national media, mainly TV channels, the issue is rather simple. To them it is Raj vs Uddhav Thackeray, as if the price rise, farmers’ suicide, loadshedding, drought, joblessness, corruption, landgrab, obscene wealth of the political class, de-industrialisation and widespread anti-incumbency sentiment, as well as the total “disconnect” of all the parties are not the issues.

Again, it is not that all these issues envelope all the constituencies. The farmers’ suicide may dominate the intellectual debate, but that issue does not click in Mumbai, Pune or Konkan. Also the suicides are only in three districts. That does not mean that they are not relevant to the rest of the state. It only means that even if there is a concern about that ongoing tragedy, it will not influence the vote in Mumbai or Pune or about 130 urban constituencies. Similarly, though everyone knows about the power shortage and consequent loadshedding, Mumbaikars have not experienced the 8 to12-hour black-out. Actually, Mumbai was spared that agony. Though life in the metropolis has been as usual, difficult and on the tenterhooks, it is not the dominant theme in Mumbai.

... contd.