For the BJP, its adversaries seem to be turning into its campaigners. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which looks like a divided dressing room, is seen relentlessly targeting the Mahayuti partners — the Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar camps — instead of going after the captain of the alliance, the BJP. As the Opposition has pushed its allies to the back foot, several hundreds of workers from all parties across the state (excluding alliance partners) are flocking to the BJP fold, turning the party into a political ocean, a clear indication of the party batting on the front foot to achieve its goal — ‘Shat Pratishat BJP’ (100 per cent BJP).

Later this year, Maharashtra will witness the biggest grassroots level political match spanning municipal bodies, districts and villages. The contest will be intense as the final results will decide who is truly in command of the larger political pitch in Maharashtra. Also, the final score will be indicative of what’s going to happen in the 2029 elections, as local body polls are dubbed ‘mini Assembly elections’. 

Under normal circumstances, constant Opposition attacks on Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP would have hurt the BJP’s image, too. But, this time the allies under fire ahead of the ‘mini Assembly’ polls seem to be playing to the BJP’s advantage, as the Opposition targeting its allies is helping BJP focus on consolidating its position and portraying itself as a stable and clean bet. Especially, with many Mahayuti leaders at decision-making levels indicating that for the upcoming local body elections, at some places and regions the contest could be a ‘friendly fight’ without any formal alliance, hinting at a competition among Mahayuti partners for supremacy.