Rahul Gandhi Kicks Off Maharashtra Poll Campaign in Nagpur, Emphasizes Constitution and Caste Census
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will officially launch his campaign for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday in Nagpur, where he will attend a “Samvidhan Sammelan” (Conference on the Constitution). The event holds particular significance, as Nagpur is not only the headquarters of the RSS, the ideological parent of the ruling BJP, but also the city where Dr. B.R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956.
Gandhi’s visit to Nagpur marks the beginning of a larger campaign aimed at consolidating support for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition alliance comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). After the conference, Gandhi will address a public gathering in Mumbai, where the MVA’s poll guarantees are expected to be unveiled.
The choice of Nagpur is strategic. The city is located in the Vidarbha region, which has historically been a Congress stronghold but has seen a surge in BJP dominance in recent years. Of the 76 constituencies where the BJP and Congress are in direct contest, 36 are in Vidarbha, a key battleground in the state’s upcoming elections. Vidarbha is also the cotton belt of Maharashtra and holds significant socio-political importance.
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP secured 44 out of 62 constituencies in Vidarbha, while Congress was reduced to just 10. Although Congress’s performance improved slightly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it won four out of 10 seats in the region, it still faces an uphill battle to reclaim the region from the BJP. To challenge the BJP’s dominance in Vidarbha, Congress will need strong support from key voter segments, including Dalits and OBCs, both of which are significant constituencies in the region.
Focus on Constitution, Reservation, and Caste Census
Rahul Gandhi’s campaign is expected to center on defending the Constitution and securing rights for marginalized communities, particularly through the promotion of reservation and caste census. These issues have resonated strongly in Vidarbha, where there is a robust Dalit movement and sizable populations of OBCs.
“The BJP poses a direct threat to the Constitution and the reservation system,” Gandhi and other MVA leaders have repeatedly alleged. They argue that the BJP, if re-elected with a larger mandate, could roll back critical constitutional safeguards for marginalized communities, a message that has found considerable traction in Vidarbha.
Gandhi’s visit to Deekshabhoomi — the site of Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism — further underscores the symbolic importance of the Constitution and social justice in the region’s electoral discourse. The “Samvidhan Sammelan” is organized by a non-political group called the OBC Yuva Manch, which aims to highlight the importance of preserving the Constitution, especially in light of the Maharashtra government’s controversial proposal to introduce chapters of the Manusmriti in the state’s school curriculum.
Anil Jaihind, one of the organizers of the event, criticized the proposed move, calling it a “threat to Indian democracy” and reaffirming the need to safeguard the Constitution. “This conference is being organized to protect the rights granted by the Constitution to every citizen of India,” Jaihind said.
MVA’s Poll Guarantees and Election Strategy
Following his visit to Nagpur, Gandhi will head to Mumbai to attend the “Swabhiman Sabha,” a joint rally with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray, and NCP President Sharad Pawar. The rally is expected to be a platform for the MVA to announce key poll promises. Among the likely guarantees are a farm loan waiver, caste census, and potentially a Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme to counter the Eknath Shinde-led government’s popular welfare program, the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides ₹1,500 monthly to women from below-the-poverty-line households.
The MVA’s alliance partners are seeking to position themselves as the defenders of Maharashtra’s social fabric, while also challenging the Shinde government’s economic agenda. With an eye on securing support from rural voters, the proposed farm loan waiver is expected to be a key plank of their election platform.
A Crucial Battle in Maharashtra
As the elections draw near, the Congress and the MVA are hoping to make inroads into BJP-dominated regions like Vidarbha, where historical voting patterns are shifting. Vidarbha’s political landscape will play a decisive role in the overall outcome of the election, and Congress, along with its allies, is positioning itself as the champion of marginalized communities and defenders of democratic values.
The outcome of this election will likely be influenced by a combination of regional issues, national politics, and the campaign promises of the opposition, with the Constitution and social justice taking center stage in the discourse. As Rahul Gandhi begins his campaign with symbolic gestures and a focus on key policy promises, the stage is set for a highly competitive electoral battle in Maharashtra.
