On November 23, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance secured a resounding victory in the Maharashtra state elections, securing 235 of the 288 assembly seats. The victory of the NDA alliance signals a significant achievement for the BJP as the party suffered substantial losses in the state during the 2024 parliamentary elections. This sparked hope among opposition parties for a strong performance, but those hopes ultimately fizzled out. Significantly, the BJP election campaign in the state was overshadowed by hate speeches targeting the Muslim community, as detailed in a recent India Hate Lab brief.
While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s divisive slogan “batenge toh katenge” (divided, we will perish) was the most incendiary example of hate speech during the campaign, it was far from the only one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed the INDIA-alliance was planning “to give free cylinders to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis,” whereas Home Minister Amit Shah riled up anti-Muslim sentiments by asking his audience, “Are you in favor of taking reservations from SC/ST, OBC, Dalits, and Adivasis, only to give them to Muslims?”
By framing Muslims as undeserving benefactors of state welfare at the cost of other marginalized groups, the BJP’s emphasis was clearly on cultivating anti-Muslim hatred and consolidating a Hindu vote bank. Thus, these comments are reflective of the severely anti-Muslim nature of the BJP’s election campaign in Maharashtra.
The NDA alliance’s victory signals a worsening political climate for religious minorities in the state. Preliminary analysis of data collected by India Hate Lab, a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), indicates a sharp rise in hate speech incidents in the state in 2024 compared to the previous year.
The ruling NDA alliance in the state had dragged its feet in cases of hate speech involving Hindu nationalist organizations, such as the Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS). SHS is a loosely held association of various right-wing Hindu nationalist groups that has regularly held numerous events, rallies, and meetings in the state. These events center around Hindu nationalist conspiracy theories such as ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad.’ Several of these events have featured BJP legislators as keynote speakers.
According to an Indian Express report, the police have failed to file a chargesheet in nearly 80% of the cases involving the SHS. This includes at least eight incidents where legislators are involved and require sanction from the state government for prosecution. The state government’s attitude towards the prosecution of hate speech by Hindu nationalist groups reflects a worrying sign for minorities in the state. The situation is worsened by multiple incidents of communal hatred and violence in Maharashtra, as reported by the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism in a report.
With the BJP emerging as the leading party within the NDA by winning 132 of the 235 seats won by the alliance, it is unclear if alliance partners will be able to exert any political pressure in opposing anti-minority vitriol and violence. Furthermore, with none of the INDIA-alliance parties winning even 10% of the seats, the state will likely be without a leader of the opposition.
The results of the Maharashtra elections consolidate the dominance of the BJP within the NDA alliance and leave the opposition severely weakened. It also cements the hold of the Hindu nationalist movement and raises serious concerns for the well-being of religious minorities and the sociopolitical fabric of the state. Given the escalation of hate speech and the lack of accountability, the election results signal a precarious future for democratic norms, pluralism, and the safety of religious minorities in Maharashtra.