In Marathwada Uphill Battle, BJP Depends On Eknath Shinde’s Appeal, Manoj Jarange Pull-Out Comforts Congress
In Lok Sabha elections six months ago, BJP could not win any seat in Marathwada. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won eight of the nine seats, while Eknath Shinde’s party won Aurangabad.
A year ago, the Shinde government had changed Aurangabad’s name to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar after the elder son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The BJP is hoping for a miracle in Marathwada this time, riding on the shoulders of their coalition’s Maratha face and chief minister Eknath Shinde.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain’ slogan, the BJP is hoping to get some Marathas on its side now.
The issue of the undelivered Maratha reservation continues to haunt the BJP, with reservation activist Manoj Jarange painting Devendra Fadnavis as the villain of the piece.
With 46 seats at stake in Marathwada, what has proven to be a shot in the arm for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in these elections is the decision of Jarange to withdraw his candidates from the electoral race.
Maratha Vote Dynamics and MVA’s Optimism in Marathwada
“That means the Maratha vote won’t divide, and the MVA stands to gain,” say Congress supporters backing party candidate Lahu Hanumant Rao from the Aurangabad (East) seat. Although the BJP currently holds the seat, the MVA remains optimistic about winning it as part of a Marathwada sweep this time.
“A group of Maratha auto-drivers in the town told CNN-News18, ‘The Marathas want a promise of reservation that is delivered on the ground, not empty promises that the court rejected,’” referring to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Fadnavis government’s earlier move to grant 10 percent reservation to Marathas.
“There is a strong OBC consolidation in the BJP’s favour as OBCs feel Marathas must not get the reservation,” a group of BJP supporters in the town said. The aim clearly is to break the Maratha-Muslim-Dalit coalition of voters in favour of the MVA.
Another factor is Jarange not attacking Shinde in his speeches. Though the BJP is contesting more seats in Marathwada (20) compared to the Shiv Sena at 16, chances of the Mahayuti winning in more of those 16 seats look brighter. The prime minister is also holding a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on Thursday to shore up the Mahayuti’s chances.
