As election day draws closer in Maharashtra, a storm is brewing in Marathwada region, and its dark clouds are spreading fast across the state. The rift between the Maratha and OBC communities has never been so profound in a state long celebrated for its progressive ethos. But now, caste lines are deep, and battle cries are loud.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, taking center stage in the campaign, has wielded his OBC identity like a shield and sword. In rally after rally, he thundered that the opposition harbors disdain for the OBC community, painting them as unable to stomach an OBC Prime Minister.
Modi’s rhetoric is relentless: Congress, he warns, will snatch away the hard-earned OBC reservation. His words resonate with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ bold declaration, “BJP’s DNA is OBC, and BJP is the party of OBCs.” These statements have etched a deep mark on Maharashtra’s political landscape.
This surge of rhetoric has come at a volatile moment. The Maratha-OBC battle for reservation rights has been simmering for decades but reached a fever pitch in September 2023 after the police crackdown on protestors in the village of Antarwali-Sarati.
It was there that Manoj Jarange-Patil, an unknown face at the time, emerged as the voice of the Marathas, steadfast on a fast unto death. His call for recognition as OBCs and a share of the OBC reservation ignited a movement that rattled the BJP. In the Lok Sabha elections, Jarange-Patil’s rallying cries galvanized the Marathas in Marathwada, delivering a blow to the ruling party.
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Lok Sabha loss
The results were undeniable. The BJP, once commanding an iron grip, secured only 9 of the 28 seats it contested in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a far cry from the 23 out of 25 it seized in 2019.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition—Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar)—swept 30 of the 48 seats, propelled by an alliance of Marathas, Muslims, and Dalits that cut across caste and creed.
Jarange-Patil’s voice remains fierce. “We are not contesting assembly elections as the Maratha community, but the community knows whom to defeat,” he declares, his words dripping with resolve and aimed directly at Fadnavis, whom he accuses of undermining Maratha reservation demands.
The opposition, with strategic acumen, fielded candidates that catered to Marathwada’s intricate caste equations, treading carefully but effectively.
The stakes in the upcoming assembly elections are high. Analysts predict that the Maratha factor will influence the outcomes of 46 constituencies in Marathwada and ripple into western Maharashtra and Vidarbha. In this region alone, the Marathas are an estimated 60 lakh strong, making up a powerful population.
Maratha’s in mess
The statistics are stark and sobering. The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission pegs the Marathas at 28 per cent of the state’s population, with 21.22 per cent living below the poverty line—a figure surpassing the state average of 17.4 per cent.
Alarmingly, 94 per cent of farmer suicides in the state come from Maratha households, and a staggering 84 per cent of the community falls within the non-creamy layer, with annual earnings under ₹8 lakh.
Yet, despite these figures, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) denied their plea for OBC status, recently approving the addition of 19 other castes to the central OBC list. The 1931 census puts Marathas at 31 per cent of the state population.
OBC consolidation
Meanwhile, OBC leaders, including NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal and Pankaja Munde, are rallying their base to defend their share of the reservation pie. The OBCs, representing more than 38 per cent of the state’s population, are determined not to cede ground.
In Beed, tensions are palpable. “The communal divide is everywhere,” laments Ramesh Waghmare, a local daily wager. “In every city and village, you can feel the fracture. The social fabric of Marathwada is in tatters. This will echo through generations, scarring social harmony for years to come.”
The stage is set for an epic clash, one that has splintered Maharashtra’s heart and could shape its future in ways yet unseen.