No OBC group too small as BJP goes micro, Congress ups game in Maharashtra

While rivals person accused the slogans of communal overtones, the crux of some astatine different level is that the Congress marque of authorities is “divisive”, and that its telephone for a caste census pits 1 radical against another. At 1 of his rallies Friday, Modi said: “The sole docket of the Congress is to marque 1 caste combat another. They bash not privation SCs, STs and OBCs to advancement and get their owed recognition.”

At different meeting, the PM said the Congress was aggravated with the OBCs due to the fact that their consolidation aft Mandal authorities had triggered its decline. “So, the Congress wants to weaken OBCs and interruption their unity,” helium said.

For the BJP, retaining the OBC ballot is crucial, arsenic the Maratha quota request has placed the 2 groups successful other corners, with the Marathas favouring the MVA. In presumption of stock successful the population, the OBCs – comprising immoderate 350 subgroups, arsenic per the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission – are the largest chunk, astatine astir 38%, followed by the Marathas astatine 33%.

Admitting the criticality of the OBC vote, a elder BJP person says the enactment has identified them arsenic a origin successful arsenic galore arsenic 175 seats retired of the full 288. In contrast, the Marathas’ dominance is seen arsenic mostly restricted to Marathwada and Western Maharashtra, which unneurotic relationship for 116 seats.

The OBC conflict is expected to beryllium the astir bitter successful Vidarbha, wherever Maratha preservation is simply a non-issue. Here, the OBCs are believed to telephone the shots successful much than fractional (36) of the 62 seats.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar, who is contesting from Akola successful Western Vidarbha, admits “the unprecedented consolidation of OBCs for the archetypal time” arsenic an result of the Maratha preservation agitation. Ambedkar besides warns of “massive unrest” among the OBCs arsenic a effect of the Maratha quota stir.

OBC Manch president Prakash Shendge agrees. “It is simply a conflict for governmental reassertion, and this has agreed the OBCs,” helium says, adding that OBCs whitethorn ballot for OBC candidates transcending governmental boundaries and ideology.

The elder BJP person quoted supra says the party’s OBC strategy involves micro-targeting “nondescript, smaller segments” – which has paid disconnected for it successful successive polls, including astir precocious Haryana. Such targeting is being done particularly successful borderline constituencies successful Vidarbha, North Maharashtra, Marathwada.

Besides, conscionable earlier the Maharashtra elections were announced, 7 caller groups were included successful the Central OBC database by the Modi government, portion the authorities authorities raised the creamy furniture ceiling to avail OBC benefits. Again, this was a leafage retired of the Haryana BJP book.

Among the OBC groups the BJP has its eyes connected are Teli, Banjara, Pawar, Bhoyar, Komti, Sonar, Gond and 2 twelve others.

Admitting that the BJP failed to pat into the OBC choler implicit the Maratha contented successful this year’s Lok Sabha polls, a BJP person says: “The OBCs were upset with the BJP arsenic they felt that the Eknath Shinde-led authorities was really going overboard to appease (Maratha quota activist) Manoj Jarange-Patil and the Marathas. In the end, we mislaid some Maratha and OBC support.”

The enactment won conscionable 9 seats successful the Lok Sabha polls, of the 28 it contested, a autumn from 12 successful 2019.

The BJP OBC strategy is, successful fact, not new, with the enactment embarking connected ‘MADHAV formula’ successful the aboriginal 1980s – the acronym lasting successful 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”.

Over the years, the BJP expanded beyond this look and gained immoderate crushed among the Marathas. However, the assemblage remains intrinsically loyal to the Congress and NCP, particularly successful the sweetener loop of Western Maharashtra, with 70 seats.

While Sharad Pawar remains a colossus there, the Congress has besides taken factual measures to get its canvass mathematics close region-wise aft its occurrence successful the Lok Sabha polls. It is seen arsenic banking successful Vidarbha connected the Kunbhi community, which accounts for 60% of the OBC population, isolated from its regular basal of Dalits and Muslims.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 44 of the 62 seats successful Vidarbha. But successful 2019, this declined to 29. In the caller Lok Sabha polls, the Congress was up 5 to the BJP’s two, with the different seats bagged 1 each by the Shiv Sena, NCP (SP) and an Independent.

Congress main Nana Patole, who hails from Eastern Vidarbha, says: “The portion was erstwhile a Congress bastion and we are assured of retaining it.”

In parts of North and Western Maharashtra, the Congress – similar the BJP – is looking to woo the Dhangar OBC group, which is 9% of the population. The Congress and NCP (SP) are reminding the Dhangars of the BJP’s unfulfilled committedness to springiness them tribal status. The Dhangars presently get a 3.5% quota nether Nomadic Tribes (C) category.

What volition wounded the Mahayuti present is the BJP’s nonaccomplishment to clasp state Rashtriya Samay Party, led by Mahadev Jankar.