In the Marathwada region, where BJP drew a blank in the Lok Sabha polls and in Western Maharashtra where it won only two seats, the BJP is again focussing on its tested and tried MADHAV formula – an acronym representing the Mali, Dhangar and Vanjari communities. All the three castes come under the OBC category.
Party leaders feel that the BJP lost its hold among these castes due lack of clarity from the government over Maratha reservation issue resulting in OBCs moving away from the party.
To improve its performance in the assembly polls, the party needs to nominate several candidates from these castes and regain the lost ground, a senior BJP leader said.
There are 46 assembly seats in Marathwada region and 70 in Western Maharashtra, the highest number of seats in any region in Maharashtra.
BJP had won 20 seats in Western Maharashtra and 16 in Marathwada out of 39 and 26 that it contested in these two regions, respectively during last assembly elections.The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, of which BJP is also part, recently renamed Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar, after Ahilyadevi Holkar, who is highly revered by the Dhangar community, almost equivalent to a deity. Similarly to consolidate its presence among upper castes, the state government recently decided to set up two corporations for the economic development of the Brahmin and Rajput communities.The Vidarbha region, having 62 assembly seats, second highest in Maharashtra, and RSS is also located in the region at Nagpur, has been the BJP’s stronghold but the party performed poorly in the Lok Sabha polls here.
The party leaders here feel Congress grouping of DMK – Dalit, Muslims and Kunbis – impacted the BJP electorally.
In the last assembly polls, the Telis – another prominent OBC community which moved away from it in Vidarbha – impacted it and the BJP could win only 29 seats out of the 50 seats it contested here.
This time the BJP’s main focus would be on regaining Teli vote back as the party’s state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule is from the caste and hails from this region and to break Congress DMK formula, the party is working on making inroads in Kunbi vote bank and Hindu Dalits. Many Dalits in this region have converted to Buddhism.
Marathas, the dominant caste, accounting for nearly 30% of the population and politically powerful in the state, have been demanding the Kunbi, or OBC caste certificates. And this led to counter consolidation among other OBCs and with lack of clarity from the government that worked against BJP and its allies.
