BJP votes in Maharashtra got divided due to Maratha quota, farmers’ issues, Opposition’s Constitution narrative: MoS Raksha Khadse

You are the youngest woman minister in this government. How do you see your appointment?

Back in 2014, the honourable Prime Minister showed faith in me as a youth face and a woman. Before 2014, several senior MPs were nearing retirement and the PM started bringing in change on that front and gave more opportunities to the youth.

The youth looked down upon politics, but Modi ji has changed the way the politicians were perceived. He also prioritised more participation of women in politics. And we have witnessed that in the ticket distribution and elevation of women MPs to ministerial roles. We have also seen that women have more than an equal share in voter turnout. In this election, we saw that women clearly voted as per their choice … Women openly defied the voting choices of their families.

You have earlier been part of parliamentary committees of External Affairs and Information Technology. How was that experience?

I was a sarpanch and a Zilla Parishad member before becoming an MP. However, being a minister will be a completely different experience. I will have to learn, unlearn and educate myself.

You said women voters were well aware of their issues and rights. What did you observe about them in the recent polls?

Our government has been running a slew of women-oriented schemes that centre around financial inclusion of women through self-help groups, opening of bank accounts, and easily accessible and affordable loans.

Women have obtained far greater exposure to these issues in the past decade. With access to loans, they are more self-reliant. With the realisation that they can improve their financial independence, they are also supporting their families. They have better resources for educating their children and accessing better healthcare … Even though the circumstances on the ground were not easy during this election, women voters backed me.

Why was the BJP’s performance below par in this election?

Maratha reservation and farmers’ issues were two major themes of this election (in Maharashtra). These two themes stuck in the minds of the voters and a narrative took hold that the BJP did not give reservation to Marathas. That certainly divided our votes in some places. To sum it up, local issues took prominence during the elections. This was not the case in 2014 and 2019.

Even as local issues figured in the past, it was national issues that took centre stage. That was not the case this time. Every candidate had a different experience in their respective constituency. The Opposition made a big narrative around our Constitution’s future. That narrative kept growing. These were the issues that hampered us.

Maharashtra goes to polls later this year. How will your party tackle these issues?

We have to work really hard and bank on our organisational strength. We will have to explore if issues at the state level can be sorted out through our government at the Centre. I am sure the party leadership will deliberate on these issues. Whether it is our party workers or leaders, all of us have to work hard. We will prepare accordingly.