Sharad is moving towards political anonymity! How Maratha satraps were defeated in Maharashtra

Suryakant Waghmare: When the Fadnavis government took oath in Maharashtra on Thursday, the cycle of time was completed for the man who had once made politics the art of the impossible. Sharad Pawar, then a young leader of rural cooperative societies, not only became an MLA at the age of 27 in the late 1960s, but also became the youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the age of 38. Today, his/her NCP has just 10 MLAs. The once formidable Maratha leader is looking towards political oblivion.

Nephew played with uncle

Sharad Pawar has been a part of many political parties in his/her career. he/she was an influential leader of the Congress in the 1990s, but later left the party and founded the Nationalist Congress Party. Later NCP formed an alliance with Congress. Pawar held important ministries in the UPA government. Pawar also raised hopes of becoming the leader who can stop Modi’s decade-long victorious campaign in 2024.

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However, nephew Ajit Pawar separated from him/her. Ajit was introduced into politics by his/her uncle. Ajit rallied most of the NCP MLAs and formed an alliance with BJP in 2023. Thus he/she made Sharad Pawar an insignificant political player in Maharashtra. Leaving Pawar to seek out those rejected from the BJP as his/her party’s candidates for the 2024 assembly elections.

Pawar had dominance in Marathwada

An organization formed on the basis of caste can only promote caste identity. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP was a predominantly Maratha party with a significant presence in Marathwada and western Maharashtra. Despite its liberal stance towards non-Marathas, it mostly consolidated Maratha dominance.

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Also prepared leaders of lesser stature from marginal castes and Muslims. It never accommodated smaller groups like Ramoshi and other such non-notified groups. Pawar’s political career and success was based on his/her control of the co-operative sector (sugar, credit and educational institutions). This politics of protection included control over non-rural economies.

Regardless of their objectives, cooperative societies have served as a means of promoting caste sentiment and enhancing the power of dominant castes such as the Marathas.

Caste capital lost in the hands of family

The late political scientist Rajendra Vora called Maharashtra the Maratha nation because of their dominance in cooperative and party politics. The role of the NCP in transferring economic benefits to Maratha supporters over the years cannot be underestimated. The special thing is that Ajit Pawar has successfully grabbed the caste capital created by Sharad Pawar in the last few decades. However, the agrarian crisis has meant difficult economic conditions for medium and small Maratha farmers, who have demanded reservation for Marathas.

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Defeat due to reliance on one caste

What is the future of caste-based family-oriented parties after the growth of nationalist Hinduism under Hindutva? Lessons can be taken from Haryana in this. In Haryana the Congress relied heavily on the Jats, only to face defeat. Tells us about the limitations of dominant caste politics which is devoid of universal ideas and ideology. The BJP’s nationwide success since 2014 has meant significant setbacks to Maratha politics and its dominance in Maharashtra.

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This became even more clear in the recently held assembly elections, in which BJP won 132 seats. The BJP is garnering support from all castes to instill Hindu pride, while alienating Muslims. Beyond the committed support of Brahmins, the RSS has garnered significant OBC support over the years. It has even mobilized some committed Maratha cadres who directly challenge parties that practice patronage-based caste politics like the NCP.

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The rise of a fundamentalist leader like Jarange Patil (a popular Maratha reservation activist) had created a buzz among political analysts. Analysts expected Jarange Patil to have a significant impact on the election results. But he/she distanced himself from the elections in 2024.

Hindutva politics overshadows caste

Caste politics is not an effective antidote to Hindutva politics. In fact, it may enable Hindutva politics in the name of Hindu identity. Ajit Pawar joining BJP is an example of this. he/she adopted the same strategy as Sharad Pawar to snatch NCP from his/her uncle.

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It is also a fact that caste based patronage flourishes better under male leadership. Ajit Pawar’s claim on NCP rests on patriarchal grounds (not accepting Supriya Sule as Sharad Pawar’s successor). The struggle within the Pawar family to control the party makes such parties look like a family-controlled business. In such a scenario, concern for public welfare seems secondary. In such a situation, BJP gets some right to question his/her politics.

BJP kept strong

The negative impact of family and caste-centric parties on democratic processes cannot be underestimated. Even if this does not mean that BJP’s nationalist Hinduism is universal in nature or has universal values. However, by advocating nationalist Hinduism and a new competitive welfarism, the BJP has created a cultural and concrete narrative. This sidelines parties like NCP.

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Now the question is whether the morality of religion seems better to unify Hindus than the morality of caste of parties like NCP? Does putting money into the accounts of poor women just before elections seem like genuine welfare? All such politics around caste and religion hurts the ideals of fraternity and liberty.

Despite adages that suggest the contrary, democratic politics has its limits. It is within these that political mobilization and policies are made. Whether they lead to lasting good or not.
(The author is Professor of Sociology at IIT-B)