This winter promises a formidable opposition to the BJP. Gujarat is seeing this, thanks to a reinvented Rahul Gandhi. With the remaining phase of polling to go, fingers are crossed before the Gujarat mandate is declared on December 18. The result in Narendra Modi's Gujarat -whatever it is - should impact neighbouring Maharashtra in a long run.
The notional part of the result – the Congress strongly believes that it will topple the BJP in the PM's backyard - has fuelled aspiration of Gandhi's followers, who have upped the ante in an unforeseen manner.'

Like the Congress, other parties in the opposition, such as the Nationalist Congress Party too have got into a huddle to turn the heat on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his home turf Nagpur, where the winter session of the legislature starts from Monday. The opposition has assured a stormy session. The Congress has drawn up a long list of issues to corner the Fadnavis government. Senior NCP leaders who haven't been able to find a foothold in agrarian crisis-affected Vidarbha, have been walking in a long march of 160km from the farm suicide belt of Yavatmal district. The two Congress will get together on December 12 in a massive protest march to Vidhan Bhavan and promise to rock the BJP's boat in the legislature. NCP boss Sharad Pawar will lead the agitation. This is something very significant as far as the efforts of a much-needed unity of opposition are concerned.