The 3 Cs that helped BJP win Maharashtra

Equally, the incumbent authorities neutralised the Opposition’s caste origin — the 2nd C — by reverse polarisation, a la the Haryana model. In Maharashtra, the Marathas — the astir politically almighty radical — was up successful arms against the BJP, the nonaccomplishment of the saffron confederation successful bringing successful the Marathas nether the reserved class being the superior reason. The new-age Maratha protagonist Manoj Jarange-Patil had successfully mobilised Marathas by branding the saffron confederation arsenic “Brahminical”. The Marathas made their dependable heard successful the Parliament predetermination wherever the BJP faced its worst-ever rout successful the state. However, soon after, it swung into enactment and deployed OBC leaders from its fold to antagonistic the Marathas. The gambit worked. BJP leaders had arsenic galore arsenic 330 meetings with assorted OBC factions — each nether the radar. Overseeing this low-key, high-impact cognition was Bhupendra Yadav who made Maharashtra his location soon aft Parliament elections. Also helping the BJP successful this endeavour was the RSS, which came retired successful afloat force. The effect is for everyone to see.

The BJP had a two-pronged strategy. On the 1 hand, without overmuch fanfare it worked connected societal engineering, bringing successful much and much societal groups into its fold, and, connected the different it utilized the communal hammer, with Yogi Adityanath shouting “batenge to katenge”. Initially, it was believed that the communal paper would not person overmuch of an interaction successful Maharashtra. That was not the case, it seems. Giving the predetermination a communal colour on with a astute caste strategy has had its desired effect.

These 3 Cs assistance flooded the 4th C — the falling terms of crops. Soya legume and fabric successful Vidarbha and Marathwada witnessed important terms drop, resulting successful farmers’ distress. Add to this the falling bulb prices. It was the cleanable look for the Opposition to usage against the ruling alliance. It failed — and failed miserably. So overmuch truthful that the regions that were witnessing agrarian situation excessively did not basal by the Opposition which was promising higher minimum enactment price.

What volition beryllium absorbing to spot present is, fixed the size of the triumph for the BJP, volition the enactment successful Delhi fto the coveted station of main curate spell retired of its hand? The effect successful nary mode volition marque the Shinde-led Shiv Sena redundant; it will, however, marque the BJP much self-reliant. It would beryllium naive to judge that the BJP wants Shinde to pb the authorities and volition play 2nd fiddle to him. The BJP tactically “used” Shinde and Ajit Pawar to clip the wings of its existent challengers — Shiv Sena’s Thackerays and the Nationalist Congress Party, particularly Sharad Pawar. Having achieved its objective, the BJP whitethorn beryllium staring astatine this question: What to bash with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar now? Going against the fashionable request successful the authorities portion to assertion the main ministership, the BJP, successful each probability, volition support the reins of the authorities with Shinde, considering that different large conflict lies up — for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, which has, till now, been the lifeline of the Thackerays. Similarly, it whitethorn privation to support Ajit Pawar successful bully humour till it tin dethrone Sharad Pawar from section self-government bodies successful occidental Maharashtra successful the ensuing elections. Once this is achieved, Maharashtra volition beryllium Opposition-mukt for the BJP — the concern it has ever dreamed of.

The writer is editor, Loksatta