With the passing of the Maharashtra State Reservation bill, the BJP will definitely benefit from it now.
The Maharashtra government's decision to provide reservation benefits to Maratha community will definitely help the BJP in the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections next year. As per the Planning department of the Government, Marathas constitute 30% in Maharashtra. The community has say in almost all the political happenings in the state including electoral success of any party or group.
Before Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar formed his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Congress enjoyed support from the Marathas. The Marathas have traditionally voted for the NCP and Congress.
However, with the passing of the Maharashtra State Reservation bill, the BJP will definitely benefit from it now. Although the community is spread across the state, the Marathas mainly dominate Western Maharashtra. Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj hailed from Pune district. His descendants are settled in Kolhapur and Satara. By making 16% reservation and giving a Rajya Sabha seat to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje from Kolhapur, the BJP has consolidated its position in Western Maharashtra, where it is weak.
Other than Western Maharashtra, the Maratha community enjoys dominance in Konkan, where the Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP wield power. Jaidev Dole, a veteran journalist and analyst from Aurangabad said that districts like Nanded, Parbhani and Osmanabad are dominated by feudal mentality. "The Congress-NCP dominate these areas. The districts of Marathwada where small Maratha farmers and labourers live, the Shiv Sena and BJP hold sway," he said. Dole pointed out that the BJP and Sena have most of the MLAs and elected representatives from Maratha community.
Dr Kumar Saptarshi, a political analyst said that the reservation would not last test of Court. He said that the benefit would not be tangible in big numbers but it will soften the stand of Marathas about BJP. He said that Maratha community considers NCP and Congress as their number 1 and 2 choice. The BJP is at the fourth spot. However, now the BJP will make inroads in Konkan and make its position stronger in Vidarbha region. A BJP leader said that their biggest asset is CM Devendra Fadnavis. "He single-handedly won 8 out of 10 municipal corporations in recent elections," said the BJP leader.
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