NCP leaders launch the party's election manifesto in Mumbai (PTI photo)
Nearly two weeks before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, if there is one thing found across political party manifestos, it is the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the famed Maratha warrior.
Though associated with the Shiv Sena for years, the Maratha icon is now invoked in hoardings and advertisements by the BJP this election to woo voters. The Congress and NCP, allies in power for 15 years, now political foes, have also renewed the promise of building a memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji in their manifestos. However, it is an old promise which still remains on paper despite having been promised by the two parties in the last two elections.
Party leaders, however, claim that the memorial has nothing to do with appealing to the influential Maratha community, which accounts for over 30 percent of votes in the state.
"This is not just politics over memorials. It's an emotional issue. True there were delays, but our plans are in place. Permissions take time," said Dilip Walse Patil, an NCP leader.
Apart from the memorials to national icons, both the Congress and NCP have carefully side-stepped the statehood issue of Vidarbha. Supporters of the statehood cause in the past, the Congress and NCP now seem to have had a change of heart as they mention a more inclusive approach of dealing with developmental issues in the Vidarbha region as an integral part of the big state. While the BJP has supported an independent state of Vidarbha, the Sena, as always, has been a staunch opponent.
The manifestos also indicate an attempt by political parties to tap the votes of the youth as well.
While the NCP promises free laptops to all students who clear class 12, the Congress assures tablets for all students from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families who pass class 9.
The NCP has also promised digital libraries, free Wifi in universities, digital smart classrooms and airstrips in every district. It also aims to work to ensure that the 'Marathi' language gets classical language status. The party, influenced by climate change, pledges to work on popularizing the importance of reduce, reuse and recycle as well.
The important issue of toll plazas, which has seen violent agitations across the state, also finds mention in party manifestos with Congress planning to shut five toll plazas that regulate entry into Mumbai.