With less than a year for general elections and Maharashtra being the second biggest state after Uttar Pradesh (in terms of constituencies) the BJP and its allies are likely to hop from temple to temple to strengthen their Hindutva roots and lure its core voter.
Every hotel, Dharamshala in the city of Ayodhya was pre-booked last weekend for the members and leaders of the Shiv Sena headed by the CM of Maharashtra. Following the footsteps of his predecessor, (Uddhav Thackeray) Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde became the second head of Maharashtra state to visit the holy city. Part of his entourage was his deputy Devendra Fadnavis (who left early due to some commitment), 40 MLAS, 12 MPs, tall leaders of the BJP, and hundreds of party workers. His visit comes days after his former boss Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray’s visit, which was on the occasion of Ram Navami.
 Why Visit Ayodhya now?
1) Preparation For 2024 Elections:Â
“Donât be a victim of overconfidence. People are already saying that no one can defeat BJP in 2024. This is true, but as a BJP worker, one has to win the heart of every citizen. As workers of the BJP, we should not limit ourselves to winning elections. We should work to win the hearts of people.” These were the words of PM Narendra Modi during the BJP’s 43rd foundation day. With less than a year for general elections and Maharashtra being the second biggest state after Uttar Pradesh (in terms of constituencies) the BJP and its allies are likely to hop from temple to temple to strengthen their Hindutva roots and lure its core voter. Especially the Ram Temple is going to be the cornerstone of the saffron party’s campaign. The Ram temple has been an election agenda since 1996 and now that the temple is set to be inaugurated next year on New Year’s Day the BJP and its allies are likely to redeem the most out of it. Besides, PM Modi has frequently visited the state to inaugurate welfare projects such as Samrudhi Expressway, Vande Bharat train, and Metro. PM Modi during his visit lauded the triple engine government’s work in the state.
2) To Woo Migrant Voters:Â
A large chunk of voters in Maharastra are from the state of Uttar Pradesh, and with countless elections in the queue, and with not-so-satisfactory performance in the recent by-polls the BJP-Shiv-Sena alliance would want to reach out to the last man in line. Maharashtra CM visiting (arguably)Â BJP’s most popular CM Yogi Adityanath, sends a message of unity between the two leaders. CM Shinde left no stone unturned in praising his UP counterpart. Yogi Adityanath enjoys mass popularity among migrant voters from UP. In fact, when communal violence broke out in the state during the recently celebrated Ram Navami, a lot of right-wing supporters suggested CM Shinde have implemented the Yogi model of bulldozing houses of miscreants to deal with stone-pelters.
3. To Set The Record Straight:
The BJP has never shied away from its Hindutva ideology and ever since the rebellion CM Shinde has been vocal about his ideological stance. Be it Janamastmi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ram Navami or Diwali, the CM has encouraged pomp celebrations of Hindu festivals. Recently when Congress MP Rahul Gandhi allegedly insulted Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during his press conference, the Shinde-Fadnavis dispensation held a Savarkar Gaurav Yatra (Savrkar pride march) across the state. Amplifying his support for the pioneer of Hindutva, Devendra Fadnavis said: “We endorse Vinayak Damodar Savarkarâs ideology. In some sense whether you call it or not, the fact is India has a Hindu majority. And in that sense, it is already a Hindu Rashtra.â This statement coming from BJP’s top leader is a clear sign of what the party line is. More than 50 Hindu outrage rally has been held in the state since the change in government in the state. The rallies saw tall leaders from both parties join in support of the law against the alleged Love and Land Jihad. An interesting anecdote from the trip is also, when the party workers boarded their train for Ayodhya CM Shinde signaled a saffron flag instead of a green one.
4. The Bow and Arrow connect:
Symbolism is a very paramount factor in politics, especially in Indian politics where the voter is influenced by emotions.  âI have received the blessings of Ram Lalla today and have been given the bow and arrow symbol by the saints and seers. I will take this energy back to Maharashtra. Itâs an important day, and it has given me a lot of energy,” said CM Eknath Shinde after receiving the bow and arrow. Even after the ECI handled the symbol to the CM’s Shiv Sena, Party founder Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray has time and again claimed to be the real Shiv Sena and the bow and arrow belonging to him. The fight for Shiv-Sena’s bow and arrow is still reserved in the Supreme Court. However, the picture of CM Eknath Shinde getting the bow and arrow from the saint of Ayodhya is surely going to be imprinted in the minds of many for a long time.
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