Maharashtra: A decisive rejection of revolving-door politics and communal rhetoric  https://frontline.thehindu.com/election-2024/maharashtra-lok-sabha-election-2024-sharad-pawar-uddhav-balasaheb-thackeray-pm-modi-maha-vikas-aghadi/article68262094.ece 
The decisive victory of the Maha Vikas Aghadi has left the BJP-Shiv Sena reeling. The results will have an impact on the Assembly election too.

The big blow to the BJP came from the failure of Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). In 2019, it had made a dent in the Congress-NCP votes. However, the VBA’s vote share of 7.65 per cent in 2019 fell to 2.78 per cent this time. The consolidation of the Muslim and Dalit vote in the favour of the INDIA bloc made Ambedkar irrelevant.
Published : Jun 11, 2024 

A point the media mostly ignored was the Assembly election, which is due in October. The general perception that there will be a change of guard in the State helped the MVA politically. In many small pockets, MVA leaders took people on board, signalling “favours” after the Assembly election. The BJP failed to give this confidence in many places.A realignment of forces among many prominent political families that were sidelined even after joining the BJP also worked against the BJP (“Can the reunion of Maharashtra’s erstwhile ruling classes challenge BJP’s entrenched dominance?” https://frontline.thehindu.com/politics/election-2024-maharashtra-reviving-dormant-legacy-deshmukhs-patils-maratha-ruling-classes-congress-revival/article68100767.ece  Frontline, April 26, 2024).

The role of civil society organisations such as Bharat Jodo Abhiyan Maharashtra, Lok Morcha 2024, Nirbhay Bano, and Maharashtra Democratic Front is also noteworthy. These groups were active in almost 24 constituencies (“Civil society activists in Maharashtra enter ‘Battleground 2024’ against BJP, https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/civil-society-activists-in-maharashtra-enter-battleground-2024-against-bjp/article67036958.ece   Frontline, July 3, 2023). Of these seats, the INDIA bloc won 19.

Unfair to drag RSS in elections for spreading falsehood with the help of technology https://organiser.org/2024/06/10/242047/bharat/unfair-to-drag-rss-in-elections-for-spreading-falsehoods-with-the-help  : Dr Mohan Bhagwat, RSS RSS Sangsarchalak Mohan Bhagwat ji, while addressing the gathering on the occasion of the valedictory session of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg on June 10, stated that it was not appropriate to drag the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for spreading misinformation about the organisation during the elec

Ramgiri Maharaj of Godavri Dhaam.said, “In Sangh, you get the Sanskaras, values to remain balanced in all conditions, whether favourable or adverse.c He further said that while one is associated with the RSS, one gets to learn about dedication and maintaining social harmony.......

Lok Sabha verdict: Many victories – and the work ahead https://scroll.in/article/1069106/lok-sabha-verdict-many-victories-and-the-work-ahead Ingrid Srinath 11.06.2024
The election outcome has given a new lease of life for India’s fragile democracy to recover ground that could have been lost for the foreseeable future.
it is clear that treating citizens with contempt, belittling their capacity to comprehend issues, ignoring their concerns, assuming that they can be indefinitely swayed by appeals to faith or short-term economic sops does not make for a winning strategy or for voter loyalty. Apparently, you can’t fool all the people all the time.

the juggernaut we confronted was – an unholy alliance of crony capitalism and perverted nationalism, coupled with suborned institutions and compromised media, powered by vast sums of money and a veritable army of trolls, thugs and fanatics, inspired and protected by unprincipled leaders who were willing to deploy any and all means in their pursuit of power.

How long will the reprieve last and how can we best use the time and elbow room that it offers?