Will follow Sena, MNS in cashing in on sons-of-the-soil factor to strengthen its vote bank.
The BJP has decided to join the Shiv Sena and MNS chorus of ‘Mi Marathi’ to make deeper inroads among the sons of the soil in Mumbai.
In its core committee meeting, the top leadership said it cannot be indifferent to the Marathi plank which has significance in Mumbai and Thane. The leader of the Opposition in the state council Vinod Tawde is determined to portray the BJP’s Marathi face through cultural forums.
“We are a national party with a uniform ideology. Every state unit has to evolve its own policies to determine its political roadmap to reach out to diverse segments. Mumbai and Thane together constitute 60 assembly seats. If we add Konkan it comes to 100 seats where native Marathi is the dominant factor,” he said.
“However when we talk of Marathis, it is does not mean we are against the non-Marathi. We believe in inclusive politics,” Tawde added.
State BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar has entrusted the task of setting up its cultural cell to well-known writer and poet Vishwanath alias Vishubhau Bapat. To begin with, the party plans to hold round-the-year programmes showcasing top-class Marathi litterateurs, poets, theatre and cinema artistes as the best way to strike a chord with the bhoomi putra is through the local culture.
“Why is the Maharashtra BJP being singled out when it talks of Marathi culture or issues related to bhoomi putra?” asked Madhav Bhandari, senior BJP spokesperson. “We are not doing anything wrong. The party in Karnataka is vociferously voicing the concerns of Kannadigas.”
“That the Sena and the MNS are the sole custodian of Marathi constituencies, is a myth. The BJP won 32 seats in the BMC elections, primarily in the Marathi-dominated wards,” Bhandari added.
The BJP admits it cannot overlook the Marathi RSS workers and leaders who are the backbone of areas like Vile Parle, Borivli, Dombivli, Dadar, Dombivli, Kaylan and Thane.
A senior leader, on condition of anonymity, said the BJP’s ideology is uniform throughout the country. “While we allow the state units to raise the issues of boomi putras, we have to ensure it does not spill into hatred for people of other states,” he added.
Even as the BJP sets a new agenda, it cannot overlook its voter base among the Gujaratis and north Indians in the city who prefer the party over regional forces like Sena and MNS.
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