Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: EC to keep an eye on secret political campaigns

Voting will be held in a single phase in all 288 constituencies of the state on Wednesday and counting of votes will take place on Saturday. Earlier, the Election Commission will keep an eye on the secret campaigning by various parties after the campaign has stopped.

Many people have observed that the level of propaganda, which was dominated by accusations and counter-accusations, has gone down a lot this year. The battle for the elections started and the campaign intensified. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath heated up the atmosphere in Vidarbha with the slogan 'Batenge to Katenge'. After that, while starting the campaign in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the slogan 'Ek Hai To Safe Hai'. The direction of the campaign started revolving around these two announcements of Modi and Yogi Adityanath. Leaders of Mahavikas Aghadi attacked BJP on these two slogans.

The opposition criticised that BJP wants to divide the country. Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray took notice of BJP's two slogans 'Batenge' and 'Safe' in their campaign meetings. Interestingly, although there are elements of the Mahayuti, NCP's Ajit Pawar did not agree with the BJP's slogan of 'Batenge to Katenge'. BJP was trying to polarise the votes with two slogans 'Batenge and Safe Hai'. On the other hand, the Mahavikas Aghadi emphasised on polarising the opposition opinion on the basis of these announcements.

Ten meetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were held in Dhule, Nashik, Akola, Nanded, Chimur, Solapur, Pune, Sambhajinagar, Raigad, Mumbai. Union Home Minister Amit Shah contested the BJP's fort. Apart from this, Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh along with Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states participated in the campaign. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge etc. had entered the field for campaigning in Congress. 

NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar held at least four meetings every day to campaign for their respective parties.