Campaigning in the backward Marathwada region’s 46 Assembly constituencies intensified with most of the top political party leaders addressing election rallies at various locations. Besides rallies, the candidates could be seen wooing the voters while carrying out padyatras, meetings, door-to-door campaign and other activities for the October 21 polls.
Across the region, all the major political parties or alliances- BJP-SS-RPI-Rayat Kranthi-RSP alliance, Congress-NCP, Agadhi, VBW,MNS, MIM, BSP and others- were leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to the voters.
All major parties organised mega rallies with their respective prominent faces in the eight districts.
The parties have made allegations and counter allegations against each other in the campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had addressed rallies in the different parts in the state, has received tremendous response from the crowd during his rallies for raising issue of abrogation of Article 370. Mr Modi was scheduled to hold election rally at Parli in Beed district.
On the other hand, Congress former president Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally in Ausa in Latur district, alleging that the NDA government had failed on the several fronts. Apart from this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, State Chief minister Devendra Fadanvis, Pankaja Munde, party state president Chandrakant Patil and other BJP leaders addressed rallies in the region.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray, who is fighting the election, also held public rallies in the region in support of Sena candidate. They mainly raised the issues of farmers and common man.
However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar campaigned extensively across the state highlighting a number of issues, including farmers’ suicide.
MNS Raj Thackeray also attended election rallies in the region, seeking support from people for strong opposition party statues. VBA chief Adv Prakash Ambedkar, who addressed rallies at a few places in the region in support of his party candidates, also targeted the PM over various issues. He also criticized Congress and the NCP.
MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owasi also held rallies in the region in support of their party nominee, targeting NDA government on numbers of issues. AIMIM, who was ally of VBA in Lok Sahab, has snapped his ties with VBA over the issue of seat sharing. Candidates from smaller parties and independents were also seen wooing voters in their favour in their own capacity.
There are 676 candidates, including 30 women candidates, in the fray from the 46 Assembly seats in Marathwada for the October 21 election. Thirty women were among the 676 candidates who are in the fray for the 46 Assembly seats in Marathwada region. Election surveys done by various electronic media channels have predicted that the BJP-SS will win more than 200 seats out of 288 in the state.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (EC) officials have been busy making necessary arrangements in their respective constituencies in an effort to ensure that this election is happened in free and fair manner. Counting of votes will be held on October 24. (UNI)
