How BJP cracked the OBC puzzle in Maharashtra

The archetypal measurement was taken successful August 2023 erstwhile the Maharashtra Finance and Development Corporation issued notifications for creating these sub-corporations. These bodies that travel nether the authorities OBC Department are meant to supply fiscal assistance to those successful request from the circumstantial communities for educational, concern oregon different purposes. The sub-corporations are besides meant to undertake activities aimed astatine the economical improvement of the assemblage members.

Between August 2023 and October, 13 sub-corporations, each targeting tiny yet important OBC groups, were acceptable up. They are the Sant Kashiba Gurav Yuva Finance Development Corporation for the Gurav community; Jagadjyoti Mahatma Basaveshwar Finance Development Corporation for Lingayats, Sant Senaji Keshshilpi Finance Development Corporation for Nabhiks); Sant Narhari Maharaj Finance Development Corporation and Rashtrsant Shri Ruplal Maharaj Finance Development Corporation for the Bari community; Late Vishnupant Dadre (Lonari) Finance Development Corporation for the Lonari community; Santaji Prtishthan Telighana Finance Development Corporation for the Teli community; Hindu Khatik Samaj Finance Development Corporation for the Hindu Khatik community; and the Lohar assemblage Finance Development Corporation for the Lohari community.

On October 10, with conscionable implicit a period to spell for the elections, the Eknath Shinde Cabinet decided to acceptable up the Shri Sant Shiromani Namdev Maharaj Samast Shimpi Samaj Finance Development Corporation for the Shimpi community; Sola Kulswamini Finance Development Corporation for the Ladshakhiy Vani and Vani communities; Leuva Patidar Finance Development Corporation for the Leuva Patidar community; Gujar Samaj Finance Development Corporation for Gujars; and Shrikrishna Finance Development Corporation for the Gavali community.

Apart from these sub-corporations, 2 autarkic corporations were besides formed successful March for different tiny OBC groups. The Sutar Samaj Finance Development Corporation and the Vinkar Samaj Finance Development Corporation for the Sutar and Vinkar, oregon weaver, communities.

Under the Vasantrao Naik Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribe Development Corporation, which besides falls nether the state’s OBC department, 4 much sub-corporations were formed. These see the Raje Umaji Naik Finance Development Corporation for the Ramoshi oregon Bedar community; Pailwan Late Maruti Vadar Finance Development Corporation for the Vadar community; Brahmalin Acharya Divyanand Puriji Maharaj Finance Development Corporation for the Lohar community; and Parampujya Ganganath Maharaj Finance Development Corporation for the Nathpnathi Davari Gosavi, Nathjogi, Bharadi jogi, Ingtiwale, Mariaiwale, Bahurupi, Gosavi, Smashan jogi, Balsantoshi, Gondhali, Dombari, and Chitrakathi communities.

“One of the aims down mounting up the corporations was to guarantee the smaller communities wrong OBCs that the authorities was taking attraction of them. It was ever perceived that bigger castes wrong the OBCs instrumentality distant the benefits offered by the corporation. The targeted mounting up of corporations brought these communities person to Mahayuti,” said a BJP minister.

With Assembly elections chiefly being much local, each of these communities, nary substance however small, was important, the person said. “However tiny the communities are successful the numbers, their votes number erstwhile it comes to Assembly and ward-level polls. It seems that our efforts created assurance successful them and they rallied down us,” helium said.

For the BJP and the Mahayuti’s electoral mathematics to succeed, it was important to get the OBCs connected committee arsenic these communities are believed to telephone the shots successful much than fractional (36) of the 62 seats successful Vidarbha wherever the enactment was facing the astir nonstop contests with the Congress. Winning Vidarbha was important to triumph Maharashtra and to triumph Vidarbha the enactment of the OBCs was crucial.

The BJP’s effort to consolidate OBCs is not new, with the enactment embarking connected the “MADHAV formula” successful the aboriginal 1980s — the acronym stands for the ascendant OBC groups Mali, Dhangar and Vanjari — which helped it carve a enactment basal chiseled from the Marathas and shed the representation of being a “Brahmin, Baniya party”.