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Will today mark end of Marathi Manoos agenda?

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The 2014 assembly elections will be a watershed in Maharashtra's history in many ways. Other than break-up of big alliances, multi-cornered contests and wafer thin margins, it may also mark the end of the Marathi Manoo agenda of the Shiv Sena and MNS if the BJP gets the mandate. The results of the October 15 polls will be out today.

Drawing inference exit polls, senior journalist and columnist Arun Tikekar said that younger Maharashtrians had moved on and were more likely to have voted for development.

"Whatever said and done, Narendra Modi is a merchant of dreams and people are attracted towards him. The youth have realised that if they want to get white-collared jobs, they have to compete. They cannot continue to dwell on the Marathi Manoos issue. The working
and less-fortunate class are with the Sena. But their numbers are not enough," said Tikekar.

Besides, the Maharashtrian population in the city has been on the decline. In 1960, about 60 per cent of residents were Maharashtrians. Today, the number has shrunk to 27 per cent, thanks to expansion of families and skyrocketing prices of houses sending people to far-flung suburbs, said the journalist.

"Upper-class north Indians, south Indians, Sindhis, Marathi Brahmins and Marwaris sided with the Gujaratis and voted for BJP as Modi's party. Most non-Maharashtrians see Sena and MNS as troublemakers. If the results are in line with exit poll predictions, it will be the end of the era of Marathi manoos politics," said a political observer.

Pratap Asabe, another senior journalist, said that Sena would, however, won't drop the issue. "Marathi manoos is Sena's core identity. They may bring in other issues like development and strong Hindutva, but won't do away with the Marathi Manoos agenda."

Despite being a regional player, experts said Sena had done little to retain the Maharashtrians. "In BMC, Sena has been ruling for over 15 years, but most of the road and other contractors are Gujaratis and Sindhis. They did not put any effort to construct affordable houses for Marathi manoos. In fact, they played a major role in the death of textile mills that had workforces comprising mainly of Maharashtrians. Jobless and homeless, they relocated to their native places and are living in penury," said a political observer.

The observer said hollow promises do not work for long for any party. "Sena has to start playing constructive politics that will help the sons of the soil in real sense."

In case Sena is voted to power, it will have to work for the Marathi manoos for bailing it out from the crisis. "We would vote for the Congress for past many years. But this time, I chose Sena just for the Marathi manoos cause. I am educated and proud of being a Maharashtrian. But Sena must change with time and do something for the state, Mumbai and Marathi manoos. Or else, it will mark their downfall," said Sion resident Dinesh Wankhede.

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