Mumbai: In August, Sharad Pawar’s convoy was stopped in Solapur’s Barshi town by Maratha protestors demanding to know his stance on the reservation quota. A day later, he announced that he would support the cause of Maratha reservations if the Centre decides to extend reservations beyond the 50 per cent ceiling. In one stroke, he put the BJP-led union government in a spot and also vowed support to the agitators. In these elections, too, the senior politician, who enjoys the sobriquet of being a master strategist, will leverage this issue to his party’s benefit.
The BJP is already facing discomfort over the raging issue with Manoj Jarange-Patil refusing to let the situation quieten down. His demand that blood relatives of Marathas who have the necessary documents, also be eligible for reservations, is met with severe opposition from the OBCs. The community fears that the quota for existing groups will go down if more communities and groups are added to the pool competing for reservations. The Supreme Court in 2021 had struck down a proposal for quotas saying that it was breaching the 50 per cent limit set for reservations. While trying to placate the Marathas, the BJP and the Mahayuti alliance find themselves in a Catch-22 situation with OBCs training their guns on the parties in power. Prominent OBC leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and now Laxman Hake are protesting against Jarange-Patil’s demands. Both communities, the Marathas and the OBCs form a sizeable part of the electorate and irking either would mean political suicide for a party. The Lok Sabha results, especially in Marathwada, were apparently a reflection of the unease and anger of the protesting communities towards the parties in the ruling alliance.
For long, the BJP has, in hushed tones, accused Pawar of inciting Jarange-Patil for electoral gains. Devendra Fadnavis even publicly claimed that Jarange-Patil “is reading Pawar’s script”. The claims are hard to prove. Nevertheless, these protests have presented a strategic opportunity for veteran politician Pawar. His response to these protests could shape the future of Maharashtra’s political landscape. And the leader of the NCP (SP) has carefully selected candidates to capitalise on this raging issue.
The rift between the Maratha and OBCs communities could be the secret to victory for Pawar’s candidates. A stellar example is in Beed where young OBC face Sandeep Kshirsagar has been re-nominated. It sends out a dual message; his loyalty is valued and rewarded and the large OBC population in Beed is assured that their opinion and vote matters to the party. The OBC electorate in the region is what catapulted Gopinath Munde to power, a legacy his successors are vying for.
On the other hand, Pawar has pitted Manikrao Shinde, a Maratha against OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola. It helps consolidate the Maratha votes in the constituency especially since Bhujbal, the undivided NCP’s most prominent OBC leader, has been vocal against the Maratha reservation demands. The anger against Bhujbal will translate into votes for Shinde.
The movement has united various factions within the Maratha and OBC communities. Pawar is poised to align with both communities to reinforce his party’s commitment to social justice and could forge new alliances with smaller regional parties.
Comments