Maharashtra, Jharkhand Elections 2024: Voters’ Issues Take a Backseat to Identity Politics

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Elections 2024: Voters’ Issues Take a Backseat to Identity Politics

As Maharashtra and Jharkhand’s assembly election campaigns progress, the emphasis has sharply changed from urgent problems to identity politics and impassioned language. Political narratives appear to be strongly rooted in historical grievances and divisive themes, despite the serious farm crisis in Maharashtra and the economic difficulties in Jharkhand.

Maharashtra’s Ignored Farm Crisis

557 farmers in Maharashtra’s Amravati district committed suicide between January and June 2024, highlighting the seriousness of the agrarian situation. However, the election debate has ignored this concerning issue. Rather, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked Congressman Mallikarjun Kharge during a rally in Amravati. Yogi claimed that Kharge disregarded the Razakars’ crimes under the Nizam’s reign, portraying it as a ruse to win over more Muslim voters.

Kharge is personally connected to this past. His family suffered during the Razakar riots, which were a paramilitary branch of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen under the Hyderabad princely state. He was born in 1942 in Varawatti hamlet in the Bidar region of Karnataka. Asaduddin Owaisi, the head of AIMIM, was insulted by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who referred to him as a “descendant of Razakars.”

Jharkhand’s Emotive Campaign Themes

Identity politics still hold sway in Jharkhand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made illegal immigration the focal point of the BJP’s campaign, claiming that land grabs and marriage fraud are commonplace among tribal women. Jharkhand is putting this narrative to the test, which has worked in border states like Assam.

But economic data presents a bleak picture. With the third-lowest per capita pay, the seventh-most elevated level of individuals living below the poverty line, and a high country destitution rate, Jharkhand is quite possibly of India’s most in reverse state.

Regardless of this, BJP leaders have constantly avoided economic issues. “Why talk about inflation, unemployment, or the struggles of the average man when identity politics offers a tried-and-true formula to win votes?” says political analyst Afsar Hussain this tactic.

Countering Narratives

To combat the BJP’s divisive rhetoric, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has concentrated on welfare programs like the Sarvjan Pension Yojana and Mainya Samman Yojana. Kalpana Soren, the leader of the JMM, rejected the BJP’s immigration charges and urged them to present hard evidence. “Voters want immediate economic benefits, not abstract theories of trickle-down economics,” says JNU economist Anand Kumar, highlighting the bigger picture. As a result, politicians become more dependent on giveaways and emotional appeals to seize power.

Also Read: Kailash Gahlot Joins BJP After Resigning from AAP and Delhi Cabinet

The Bigger Picture

From the farm suicides in Maharashtra to the economic hardships in Jharkhand, identity politics have trumped important local issues. This change is a reflection of how Indian elections are changing, with contentious and emotional narratives being used as effective means of influencing voter mood. The question still stands as campaigns move forward: will identity politics continue to rule the political scene, or will genuine concerns like economic development and livelihoods regain attention?