Why BJP is banking on micro OBC management to counter Maratha backlash in Maharashtra Assembly elections

This is evident from the bold determination the Mahayuti authorities took by enlisting 7 caller OBC castes successful the cardinal OBC database and raising the creamy furniture ceiling from an yearly income of Rs 8 lakh to 12 lakh. These are: 1) Lodh, Lodha, Lodhi; 2) Badgujar; 3) Suryavanshi Gujar; 4) Dangari; 5) Leve Gujar, Reve Gujar, Reva Gujar; 6) Kapewar, Munnar Kapewar, Munnar Kapu; 7) Telangana, Telangi, Pentareddy, Bukekari. The BJP intends to fortify bordering constituencies successful Vidarbha, bluish Maharashtra and Marathwada. by reaching retired to these.

The BJP has realised it cannot restrict its OBC basal to the MADHAV formula, an acronym for Malli, Dhangar, and Vanjari. Instead, it felt the request to grow its OBC basal to screen different communities. The OBCs represent 341 castes/subcastes. Of these, Mali, Dhangar, and Vanjari are large communities with higher populations compared to others.

The BJP, formed connected April 6, 1980, was known arsenic the precocious caste party. Its main constituents were Baniyas and Brahmins. In the aboriginal 1990s, BJP ideologue Vasant Bhagwat floated the conception of societal engineering done the MADHAV (Mali, Dhangar, and Vanjari) look to antagonistic the beardown Maratha community, which was loyal to past to the Congress.

With time, the caste creation successful Maharashtra altered with the BJP, on with its confederation spouse Shiv Sena, succeeding successful getting Marathas into its fold successful the mid-1990s. Today, the enactment boasts of much than 2 twelve established Maratha leaders, from Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil to Raosaheb Danve. Yet, activistic Manoj Jarange-Patil’s preservation agitation created an upheaval, throwing the authorities into a caste cauldron. Jarange-Patil’s strategy to alienate the BJP whitethorn interaction its Maratha ballot base.

BJP OBC Manch president Prakash Shendge said, “Jarange-Patil’s request for Maratha preservation wrong the OBC quota has unleashed monolithic unrest wrong OBCs. In the Assembly polls, the caste origin volition beryllium a main plank. The OBCs volition not ballot for Marathas and vice versa. Jarange-Patil is tactically moving against the BJP, which is evident. Every constituency volition instrumentality its ain determination based connected caste composition.”

With the Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayuti governments successful powerfulness from 2019-22 and 2022-24, respectively, the anti-incumbency origin is intelligibly missing successful the elections. As radical person seen, some sides are successful power, the MVA comprising the Congress, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Mahayuti, consisting of Shiv Sena, the BJP and the NCP.

The request for preservation has profoundly polarised the Maratha and OBC communities crossed villages and talukas. The results of the Assembly elections volition beryllium connected however each enactment wrong the Mahayuti and the MVA manages societal engineering to consolidate its respective elector base.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar said, “The polarisation betwixt the Marathas and the OBCs has reached a unsafe level, adversely impacting the societal cloth of Maharashtra. The authorities authorities is driven and determined by Maratha versus OBC polarisation.”

“In the 2019 Assembly polls, retired of 288 candidates, Maratha MLAs relationship for 160 plus. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, retired of 48 MPs, Marathas are 30 plus. The dominance of Marathas successful authorities authorities is wide crossed mainstream parties,” helium added.

In Vidarbha, wherever the Maratha is not a factor, the combat for 62 seats volition spot Mahayuti versus MVA centred connected OBC communities. The realignment of OBC communities by each beforehand volition go crucial.

The Congress, led by Nana Patole, banks connected the Kunbhi-Dalit-Muslim factor, whereas the BJP is tapping Teli, Banjara, Pawar, Bhoyar, Komti, Sonar, and Gond, on with 2 twelve OBC communities.

Similarly, the enactment has integrated smaller castes/subcastes on the authorities borders, constituting a sizeable ballot slope dotted crossed 70 Assembly segments.

After Marathas, who marque up 33 per cent of the population, Dhangar, with 9 per cent, is important successful the state. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP elicited Dhangar support. With Dhangar reviving the aged request for preservation wrong the Scheduled Tribe category, it remains to beryllium seen whether the BJP succeeds successful retaining the base.

Rastriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) president Mahadev Jankar, who was a dhangar voice, has discontinue Mahayuti. He is contesting alone. Dhangar (shepherd) assemblage has a immense beingness successful occidental Maharashtra and bluish Maharashtra constituencies.

Given the analyzable and scattered OBC structure, the BJP’s biggest situation is to unify each communities nether 1 umbrella and summation acceptance.

State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “Our authorities has taken large decisions for the payment of astir each assemblage wrong the OBCs for their empowerment. It was our authorities successful 2018 that archetypal gave Marathas preservation erstwhile Fadnavis was CM. Even now, the Mahayuti authorities has fixed 10 per cent preservation to Marathas nether the SEBC Act. Unfortunately, it has been challenged successful court. Moreover, Jarange-Patil has rejected it, stating Marathas should get a quota nether the OBC category.”