Rebels and weak MLAs make Vidarbha a tough fight for BJP-Shiv Sena in 2019

Vidarbha, the home region of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was expected to give the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance a difficult contest in the 2019 assembly election, with discontent over sitting MLAs and open revolt in several seats.

The region and its record

Vidarbha is one of the state’s two most backward regions and has consistently seen high numbers of farmer suicides. Its lack of development has fed a long-standing demand for separate statehood, mainly raised by the BJP. Even so, parties largely avoided farmer suicides and development during this campaign.

At the previous election, the BJP took 44 of the region’s 62 seats, while the Congress won just 10.

Problems for the BJP

Rebellion had broken out in at least 10 seats amid unhappiness with the performance of sitting legislators. Local BJP leaders were also upset at sharing seats with the Sena. Because the Sena was given only 12 seats in Vidarbha, reports suggested that rebels from that party could hurt BJP candidates.

The influential Kunbi community feared that Maratha reservation could cut into its OBC quota. The BJP had tried to address the concern, while the Congress repeatedly raised it in its campaign.

Congress calculations

The Congress was banking on Dalit, Muslim and Adivasi voters, often described as “ek gattha” or bloc votes because whole communities tend to back one party or candidate. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) of Prakash Ambedkar posed a direct threat to the Congress, but past trends suggested Muslim votes rarely moved to the VBA, and with Ambedkar not allied with the AIMIM this time, those votes could go to the Congress.

What happened next

Statewide, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, the NCP 54 and the Congress 44. After the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance broke, Uddhav Thackeray became Chief Minister in November 2019 with NCP and Congress support.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party and constituencies.

Originally published on 21 October 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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