In the eleven constituencies that went to polls in Maharashtra, local issues shaped the electoral landscape, mirroring the earlier phase of elections for 24 Lok Sabha seats. The campaign has been dominated by concerns such as the agrarian crisis, water scarcity, agricultural commodity prices, basic infrastructure and a lack of employment opportunities. The final phase will see 13 constituencies cast their votes on May 20.

In Beed, Rajaram Shinde toils under the relentless sun, not as a farmer tending his ancestral lands but as a daily wager, his dreams of a verdant farm buried under the harsh reality of barren fields. “This, he declares with a steely gaze, is not who I am meant to be.” Rajaram is one among thousands forced to abandon their ploughs to work as daily wagers in Beed. Many like him have migrated to the punishing grind of city labour in distant Pune and Mumbai, as their fields yield nothing but despair.

In Pune, at one of the majur adda (labour stations) where hundreds of daily wage workers assemble each morning to find work, there is a reluctance to travel back to Marathwada for voting, despite polling on Monday in the Aurangabad, Beed, and Jalna constituencies. As these workers wait for contractors to hire them, Laxmi Dhumal, who migrated from Beed district, explains that earning a daily wage is crucial for her family’s survival and takes precedence over casting a vote.

As the election drums beat, the agonies of Marathwada’s soyabean farmers have reached a crescendo. In the grips of a merciless market, their storages bulge with unsold crops. Irfan Shaikh, from the Manavlok Organisation, captures their plight. “In harvesting season, farmers stocked their produce as prices were low. They hoped to get at least ₹6,000 per quintal, but now they have to sell it below the MSP of ₹4,600. The majority of farmers cannot recover production costs,” Shaikh added. Ahead of the elections, the Centre reduced the import duty to control the price of edible oils, and farmers have to pay heavy prices, says Vikas Bansode, a farmer.

Struggle for Basic Needs
Farmers  hoped to get at least ₹6,000 per quintal, but now they have to sell it below the MSP of ₹4,600

Farmers  hoped to get at least ₹6,000 per quintal, but now they have to sell it below the MSP of ₹4,600 | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B

In North Maharashtra, the constituencies of Nandurbar, Jalgaon, and Raver went for polls on Monday. Nandurbar, a predominantly tribal area, hosted two major rallies last week featuring PM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. Despite various pledges, the tribal communities continue to face unchanged living conditions. Sunil Pawra, a local youth, points out that the tribes still endure primitive living standards and that younger members are migrating to cities for better employment opportunities.

Elsewhere in the State, votes were cast in Pune, Shirur, and Ahmednagar constituencies in the sugar belt. The Pune LS seat is seeing a heated contest between the BJP’s Mulidhar Mohol and Congress’ Ravindra Dhangekar, with the city’s deteriorating infrastructure and civic issues taking centrestage in the debates. The BJP tried hard to frame the election as a showdown between Rahul Gandhi and PM Modi across these areas, but it’s been futile.

In Ahmednagar, BJP’s sugar magnate, Sujay Vikhe-Patil, is competing against NCP (SP) candidate Nilesh Lanke. Local concerns have also overshadowed the broader national issues, failing to engage the electorate.

“Local issues and inflation dominated the campaign narrative this time, driven by the concerns of the people rather than the political parties. Unlike previous elections where parties set the agenda and the public followed, this time it was the reverse,” explains Prafulla Dhepe, an activist from Aurangabad.

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