BJP’s ‘400 paar’ campaign had a negative impact on our electoral prospects: Chhagan Bhujbal

“The persistent rhetoric surrounding ‘400 paar’ led Dalits to fear an impending constitutional amendment under BJP governance. Addressing this concern during the campaign proved to be quite challenging for us. The resonance of this narrative within the electorate’s consciousness has already manifested in the recent polling,” said NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, while addressing party cadre at an NCP meeting in Mumbai.

Bhujbal further scrutinised the state government’s recent decision to incorporate verses from Manusmriti into the proposed Maharashtra State Curriculum Framework (SCF). This move, as a part of advocating Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in School Education (SE), proposed including texts like the Bhagavad Gita and Manache Shlok, composed by Samarth Ramdas Swami, for memorisation through recitation competitions.

“The inclusion of Manusmriti in the curriculum is a matter of concern. Such actions could impact us electorally. This initiative must be halted. Though seemingly insignificant now, it could pose future challenges,” Bhujbal said.

Bhujbal, who has aligned himself with Ajit Pawar following the NCP split, has increasingly taken political stances at odds with his party and the BJP–NCP–Sena alliance in the state. He has previously criticised the government’s decision to extend reservations to Marathas and has remained vocal in his disapproval of various state policies.