Ahead of the rural Zilla Parishad polls, the Congress on Monday announced an alliance with the Prakash Shendge-led OBC Bahujan Aghadi for the upcoming elections. The Congress, in its attempt to woo Other Backward Class voters, is strategising alliances with OBC groups, and the tie-up with the OBC Bahujan Aghadi is part of this broader effort. Prior to the Municipal Corporation elections, the party had allied with another Dhangar community leader, Mahadev Jankar.
Both Shendge and Jankar were earlier aligned with the BJP and have now decided to quit the saffron party, extending support to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a caste census.
The Congress outreach to OBCs comes as Zilla Parishad elections are due in districts including Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Latur.
Among these, the rural areas of Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Pune and Parbhani have a sizable Dhangar population. The Congress hopes the alliances with smaller OBC parties will help it reclaim lost political space in these regions.
“I welcome the decision of the OBC Bahujan Aghadi to work with Congress. This alliance is not merely for power but for the broader cause of social justice. After Rahul Gandhi’s persistent demand for a caste-based census, the Modi government was forced to take a decision, yet the census has not been conducted. Congress stands by the principle of ‘proportional representation based on population.’ This stance is receiving support from all sections of society. We will emphasise ensuring proper representation for the Dhangar and OBC communities,” said Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal.
The Congress move is also seen as an attempt to breach the BJP’s OBC vote bank. Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had recently said at a programme organised by OBC organisations in Goa that he would continue to work for the welfare of OBCs, irrespective of attacks on him. During the Maratha reservation agitation led by social activist Manoj Jarange-Patil seeking OBC status, Fadnavis was targeted by Maratha organisations.
Former Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday stepped up the attack on the BJP-led central government over the demolition action on temples built by Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar at Varanasi. “Prime minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath have disrespected the Hindus and Dhangars by undertaking demolition drives,” said Patole.
Prakash Shendge said, “Efforts are being made to chip away at OBC reservations, and even the 27% quota is under threat. While government resolutions (GRs) are being issued one after another, no community is actually benefiting. To ensure justice for the OBC community, we formed an independent party and decided to ally with like-minded parties.” He added that his party thanked Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his stand on the caste census and believed that the issue of OBC reservation would be resolved under his leadership.
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The Congress, which has decided to go solo and ally only with the Maha Vikas Aghadi or like-minded parties, has limited stakes in these elections. In the 2017 Zilla Parishad polls, it won 10 of 61 seats in Sangli, 7 of 68 in Solapur, 7 of 64 in Satara, 6 of 54 in Parbhani and 7 of 75 in Pune. By bringing OBC parties on board and targeting a larger share of the Dhangar vote, the Congress hopes to improve its tally.
Sapkal further said, “In 2014, Devendra Fadnavis promised in Baramati that his first signature upon coming to power would be for Dhangar reservation, but that promise remains unfulfilled. Fadnavis has deceived the Dhangar, OBC, Maratha, and Tribal communities in the name of reservation. He has worked to incite infighting between castes. These communities have now lost faith in the BJP and Fadnavis.”
Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.
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Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.
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Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.
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