Mainstream parties promote Maharashtra OBC leadership
MUMBAI : The gradual marginalisation of the Munde sisters — Pankaja and Pritam — in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the resultant churn in the party indicate that mainstream political parties in the state, the BJP included, are nurturing a fresh crop of other backward classes (OBC) leaders who can challenge the first-rung OBC faces in ranks.
There is a perception that these established leaders are being cut to size by challengers from their communities, although the reasons could be different in each party.
In 2019, Pankaja suffered a shock defeat from Parli in Beed, the pocket-borough of her father—BJP stalwart and OBC leader Gopinath Munde. Pankaja lost to estranged cousin Dhananjay, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and social justice minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government. It was believed that she would be accommodated in the legislative council with OBC leaders like former ministers Eknath Khadse, who has joined the NCP, and Chandrashekhar Bavankule, who belongs to the Teli community, which has strong pockets in Vidarbha. However, the BJP nominated newer OBC leaders like Ramesh Karad, Gopichand Padalkar and Pravin Datke.
Like Pankaja, Karad, too, is a Vanjari. Another Vanjari leader Bhagwat Karad was appointed as a union minister of state over Pankaja’s sister Pritam, a Lok Sabha MP from Beed.
The Vanjaris have significant numbers in Marathwada and parts of North Maharashtra and Vidarbha. They are counted among the most powerful OBC groups. The NCP is similarly seen as having gradually sidelined its seasoned OBC face Chhagan Bhujbal in favour of two young Vanjari leaders — Jitendra Awhad and Dhananjay Munde. The duo came to the forefront at a time when Bhujbal was entangled in corruption allegations and was lodged in prison for over two years.
Ironically, this churn is taking place at a time when the OBCs, who form around 53% of the population (according to community outfits) are at odds with the dominant Marathas over the latter’s demands for quotas. The state government’s ring-fenced reservations for Marathas have been struck down by the Supreme Court. This has led to their demand to be classified as OBCs.
However, this is opposed by the other backwards, who compete with Marathas for control of local power centres, and fear that they will lose out on affirmative action benefits.
The OBCs are also upset at the SC squashing their quota in local body elections. “The masses are upset at Pankaja tai being marginalised. There were similar attempts in the BJP to undercut Munde saheb,” charged Munde supporter Balasaheb Sanap of the Vanjari Samaj Arakshan Kruti Samiti, adding that the BJP would feel the heat.
However, a senior BJP leader said this shake-up mirrored a trend at the national level. “There is a perception that the BJP gets votes largely due to the persona of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this new scheme of things, other leaders are seen as irrelevant. After all, it is the engine that pulls the train and not the bogies,” he explained. In the BJP, Pankaja, a former minister, was seen as a challenger to former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Her supporters allege that the 2019 defeat was an “inside job.”
“All parties are wary of the resentment among OBCs over the demand by the Marathas. The otherwise diverse OBCs are closing ranks. Hence, parties are trying to nurture a fresh OBC leadership to get these votes,” said an OBC leader, who is with the Shiv Sena.