In June 2022, when it engineered a split in its longstanding partner, the Shiv Sena, the BJP wouldn’t have imagined, even in its wildest dreams, that the man it entrusted with the responsibility of Maharashtra’s chief ministership would plan to build his vote bank and extend his use-by-date. For the BJP, Eknath Sambhaji Shinde, when he was handed over the reins of the prized state of Maharashtra, was someone who could be fed its political agenda. But looks are deceptive, especially in politics.
Around two-and-a-half years later, Shinde has not only succeeded in rallying the politically strong Marathas behind him but also challenged the BJP’s traditional OBC base. Last week, he announced the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category.
In June 2022, when the BJP split Shinde and others from the Shiv Sena, the plan was pretty simple: Dethrone Uddhav Thackeray who, according to the party, was a traitor who deprived the BJP of Maharashtra by joining hands with Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress, after the 2019 assembly elections. The BJP eyed Shinde for two reasons: One, he was Uddhav’s right-hand man and knew the Sena’s working inside out. Always an organisation man, Shinde till then had been a low-profile leader and was not seen as being ambitious.
The second reason was Shinde’s strong Maratha credentials. Though his “area of operations” has always been Mumbai’s suburb of Thane, Shinde hails from Satara in the foot-hills of the popular tourist destination, Mahabaleshwar, in western Maharashtra that has produced several Maratha leaders. Like every other strong Maratha leader, Shinde too likes to portray himself as a son of a poor farmer — and poor he was — never mind the current five-star status of his farmland that produces strawberries and houses a helipad. For the BJP, Shinde had the right pedigree and profile the saffron party lacked.
The Maharashtra BJP stands on two pillars — OBCs and upper castes (read Brahmins). The politically-dominant Marathas were historically aligned with Congress and later NCP. The warrior community that boasts of serving Chhatrapati Shivaji has historically stayed away from the Jana Sangh, and later the BJP. To offset the Congress’s Maratha-Muslim-minority coalition, the BJP concentrated on OBCs, who are around 33 per cent of the state’s population, roughly the same as Marathas. While this resulted in the BJP making major inroads among OBCs, it also exposed its lack of a Maratha face.
In comes Eknath Shinde, a Maratha from the Shiv Sena who was no stranger to the saffron camp and was not averse to wearing saffron robes. A near-perfect candidate to lead the Shiv Sena-BJP combine. A fast learner and astute politician, Shinde was not to be the chief minister BJP wanted. Initially perceived as a mere pawn in the BJP’s hands, Shinde soon realised the importance of having his own vote base.
It is far from coincidence that around the same time, Manoj Jarange, an obscure activist from far away Jalana in Marathwada, launched an agitation demanding reservations for Marathas. Interestingly, this wasn’t his first fast for the demand. Till then confined to the district, Jarange’s stature rose manifold when in September last year, the police, for reasons unknown till now, lathicharged his supporters and bundled their leader to the hospital.
It was intriguing then — less so now — that it wasn’t the home ministry led by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that ordered the police to act against Jarange. The activist didn’t miss the opportunity to blame Fadnavis, a Brahmin, for the police action. It is hardly a surprise that Jarange and his fellow Maratha leaders haven’t uttered a word against CM Shinde and have been blaming only his deputy. With Shinde in the saddle, it was a perfect opportunity for the till-then novice activist to spread his wings and push for the popular demand for Maratha reservation.
While this is not the first time that Marathas have sought reservation, Jarange stood out in his brazenness to seek it under the OBC quota. Marathas, with 33 per cent of the population, are among the most influential and politically significant communities in Maharashtra.
As many as 11 of the state’s 16 chief ministers, including Shinde, are from the community. About half of the current 29-member-strong cabinet are Marathas. Seeking reservations for Marathas under the OBC category disturbs the political equilibrium and poses a challenge to the BJP. Jarange is right to an extent in the claim that Marathas are not a homogenous community state-wide but rather, a loose cluster of communities scattered across the state and involved, historically, mainly in agrarian activities. With dwindling agricultural incomes and the division of farmland with growing families, Marathas, like other agrarian communities, are in distress. It’s no wonder that the demand for reservation resonated with the community, which rallied behind Jarange. For Shinde, the agitation presented an opportunity and he is not one to let it slip.
However, Shinde’s promise to give Marathas a share of the OBC reservation pie has angered the latter and the BJP leadership. It is certainly easier to make such a commitment than to implement it. Shinde’s promise is bound to come up against legal hurdles. There is also the danger of it being scuttled by aggressive OBC protests, who are now planning a state-wide agitation.
In an era when everyone is more focused on managing the battle at hand than thinking of winning a long-term war, Eknath Shinde is unlikely to be very different. And he cannot be faulted for his gambit when the influence of the original Maratha strongman, Sharad Pawar, is being challenged. Shinde dreams of stepping into Pawar’s shoes and in the bargain, make himself indispensable to the BJP.
The writer is editor, Loksatta
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