At Ramabai Nagar, mood turns against RPI

Rajaram Kharat (66), a local activist from Ramabai, says that the RPI’s move towards aligning itself with the BJP is going to go against it further. “The Dalit voter does not vote for Sena or BJP due to difference over political ideologies,” he says.

Ramdas Athawale, who was earlieran ally of the NCP, had joined the Shiv Sena and BJP in 2012 to contest the civic elections under the Mahayuti Sena-BJP-RPI.

A retired government employee, Amrutrao Sripat Rao Jadhav (79), who has stayed in Ramabai since 1963 dismisses Athawale for not following the path of equality laid down by Dr B R Ambedkar. “Hindutva promotes inequality. No one ever has a problem with the religion, but everyone objects to inequality of any kind,” he says. “Residents here are now divided on the party of their choice. The SSBJP government has been more corrupt than Congress and nothing has changed over the years. Even the ‘acche din’ promised are yet to come,” he adds. Kashinath More (42), a government employee says, “After the breakup of the Mahayuti and the Congress-NCPalliance, noonehereis able to estimate the political outcome.”

However, More clearly dismisses RPI’s prospects in this election from the Dalit-dominated colony. He said that despite 70 per cent of the residents at Ramabai being Dalits, the multiple factions within RPI has made it unpopular among the community. “Dalits would have obviously gone for their leader, but the RPI is so divided that no one knows who to vote for.

Had the party been one, then our community is so strong that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra would have been a Dalit leader,” says More. According to him, the political representative at Ramabai will be chosen on the basis of work done for the residents.

N ward Municipal Councillor Rakhi Jadhav from NCP appears to be a top contender, with many residents vouching for the work done by her. “Even though we have a MNS corporator, Rakhi didi has been more prominent when it comes to getting work completed satisfactorily ,” says Reshma More (31), professor of Accountancy at Bhavan’s college, Girgaum.

“If voting (for Dalit leaders) does not help Dalits, then what is the point for voting for them,” she says. According to resident S. Bhaganagre (29), NCP will benefit most this election for its groundwork and Shiv Sena due to traditional loyalties of
the Marathi voter.

priyal.dave@expressindia.com