How BJP Is Using Haryana Strategy To Win Over OBCs, Upper Castes In Maharashtra

The BJP is planning to implement its successful Haryana election strategy in Maharashtra, aiming to reverse the setback it faced in the recent Lok Sabha elections. With a dismal performance of only 9 wins out of 28 contested seats, the BJP now looks to recover its ground in the state.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP's core OBC vote bank appeared to drift away, while opposition groups including Maratha, Dalit, and Muslim voters consolidated against the party. To mitigate this, the ruling Mahayuti government - an alliance of BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (led by CM Eknath Shinde) - has shifted its focus toward non-Maratha communities, hoping to replicate the BJP's Haryana success.

In the recently-concluded Haryana polls, the saffron party managed to overcome Jat opposition by securing the support of OBCs and other communities.

The Maratha voters apparently backed the NCP and the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls which helped the INDIA bloc to secure 30 of the 48 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the ruling party was reduced to just 17.

To regain its influence, especially among OBCs, the BJP-led government announced more than 100 policies in the two weeks before the assembly election code of conduct came into effect. These included several welfare programs for backward communities and minorities, and a strategy similar to the one used in Haryana, where the BJP's consolidation of OBC votes helped it win.

The BJP is pulling out all the stops in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, deploying a wide array of policies aimed at winning over different caste and community groups. From recommending the inclusion of seven castes and their subgroups in the central OBC list to establishing over 50 state-run corporations to benefit communities such as Brahmins, Arya Vysyas, and OBC subgroups like Teli and Lonari, the party is focusing heavily on building broad-based support.

In an effort to woo Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the government has nominated prominent Gor Banjara community leader Dharmaguru Babusingh Maharaj Rathod to the legislative council. The government has also announced grants for Dalit-Buddhist cultural and educational initiatives, aiming to weaken the opposition's influence in these voter bases.

As far as urban voters and upper castes are concerned, schemes such as the Ladka Bhau Yojana and Ladki Bahin Yojana offer financial support, job opportunities, and education to youth and women. A Rs 50 crore fund for Brahmin students and the formation of economic welfare boards for Rajput and Jain communities further bolster the BJP's appeal to these groups.

As Maharashtra's assembly elections approach, the BJP's efforts to replicate its Haryana strategy are clearly visible. By shifting focus from the dominant Maratha vote, which is now fragmented across multiple factions, to OBCs, minorities, and other underrepresented groups, the party hopes to reestablish its foothold in the state and overcome the political hurdles it has faced since 2019.

Last but not least, the ruling alliance has also ramped up efforts to secure minority votes, increasing madrassa teacher salaries and expanding the budget of the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation. This move may help BJP's ally, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, secure a critical base in the upcoming elections.

The elections to 288 seats in Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20 and the results will be announced on 23.