With less than a week to go before the Maharashtra polls, election fever is intensifying. Both major coalitions have unveiled their manifestos. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has introduced the "Batenge to Katenge" slogan and its refined version, "Ek Hai to Safe Hai", while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is relying on its familiar caste census strategy, promising to lift the 50% reservation cap.

Meanwhile, rebel candidates are flexing their muscles, aiming to disrupt both sides in this fierce contest. In a last-minute move to attract farmers facing agricultural distress, the MVA has promised a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 7,000 per quintal for soybean.

After travelling across all six regions of Maharashtra, it remains difficult to determine which side holds the upper hand. The election has evolved into a hyper-local contest. Below are the findings from my journey:

This election lacks a single overarching theme; instead, it comprises 288 localised battles. It's a highly individualised contest where the image and accessibility of the incumbent MLA or candidate, local caste dynamics, power structures, and relationships outweigh manifesto promises and government performance. Voters are often undecided, and party symbols may not be significant. For instance, in Shrirampur, the Congress dropped a sitting MLA, who switched to the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) has also fielded a candidate who was previously an MLA for two terms on a Congress ticket. All three main candidates share a Congress lineage.

The Maratha reservation demand has created a divide between Marathas and OBCs, particularly in Marathwada and parts of North Maharashtra. A clear Maratha vs. OBC polarisation can be observed in Manoj Jarange Patil's stronghold, Marathwada, where the MVA led in 32 and the Mahayuti in 12 assembly segments in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, mixed signals from Manoj........

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