Yogi Adityanath's 'Bantenge Toh Katenge' Formula Coming to Maharashtra? Will This Formula Ensure BJP Victory in Poll Mayhem

A fresh chapter in the Maharashtra political scenario for Yogi Adityanath has been being rewritten with a good-looking visual statement-posters carrying his photographs and the slogan "Bantenge Toh Katenge" have mushroomed everywhere in Mumbai. Slogan "Divided We Fall" is accompanied by Yogi's slogan, "Ek Rahenge, Nek Rahenge" (Together, We Thrive). These hoardings are visible from Andheri East to Bandra, which suggests that the BJP is wanting to repeat its success model for the Yogi Adityanath of other states in Maharashtra.

Bantenge Toh Katenge, the slogan used by Yogi Adityanath, had already served with success in earlier polls. The Haryana campaign was the very slogan that played out to turn around fortune for BJP when political analysts were predicting a Congress victory. It became a rallying call round the strength of BJP unity against divisiveness and something Yogi repeated time and again during the campaign.

It is now happening in Maharashtra, where political equations have been sterner by virtue of a strong Muslim vote bank. Of the 288 assembly constituencies in the state, 38 have a voting population that is more than 20% Muslims, while 9 assemblies have more than 40% Muslim voters. These numbers peg Muslim votes as a pivot for the results of the election. The BJP would like to consolidate Hindu votes in such areas. It would now use the Yogi strategy of "Bantenge Toh Katenge" by breaking up the caste and religious dynamics often playing against the party in such areas.

This is an opportunity when opposition parties, especially Maha Vikas Aghadi, are planning to make mileage out of anti-incumbency and yet able to allure people through caste-based divisions. Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) and the NCP are trying everything to come together, cut across various communities and castes, and emerge as a formidable opposition for the BJP. Cracks have begun to appear on seat-sharing tussle, but especially in key regions like Mumbai, Nashik, and Vidarbha. Stiffening competition is really stressing within the coalition, as the three-cornered tussle over 30 seats continues between Congress, Uddhav's Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar's NCP. It is a sign of possible break in unity.

Meanwhile, the BJP seems better prepared with a cut-and-dried plan as it banks on the charisma of Yogi Adityanath. He has now emerged as a symbol of success for the party in various states. Winning campaigns is not easy and he does that successfully.

He had applied his salesman's art canvassing across 20 assembly constituencies in the 2019 Haryana assembly polls of which BJP could bag 13 with a splendid strike rate of 65%. In similar light, in Jammu & Kashmir, the BJP swept all four assembly segments for which Yogi had come out and canvassed.

Indeed, his count among the electorate has been justified, and the Maharashtra BJP would love to replicate that success while using his "Bantenge Toh Katenge" as a rallying cry for Hindu voters in the state. However, this strategy is not without its challenges. The MVA is well aware of the effectiveness of Yogi’s model and will likely work to counter it by emphasizing unity within their coalition. While the BJP aims to consolidate Hindu votes, the opposition is keen on ensuring that divisions within their camp don’t cost them the election. Political tussle Maharashtra: Maharashtra is going to be a tight fight. While the 'Bantenge Toh Katenge' formula of Yogi Adityanath would satiate traditional vote bank and its unification in the BJP's ranks, it would depend on how opposition concludes its internal disputes. The only thing that is certain is that the influence of Yogi Adityanath over the political landscape of Maharashtra just keeps growing.

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