From MVA to Sambhaji Brigade, Maratha card to regional pride, Uddhav turns heat on BJP-Shinde

Joining hands with the Sambhaji Brigade, Thackeray asserted that their tie-up was ideological and forged to uphold the regional pride. Whether their alliance will boost the Thackeray-led Sena’s flagging prospects is to be seen, but its partnership with the Maratha outfit marks an interesting development in Maharashtra politics.

Known for its aggressive politics, the Sambhaji Brigade has sought to champion the cause of Maratha youth. Their militant style has struck a chord with certain sections in the community. The outfit, which derives its name from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was founded three decades ago.

Since its inception, the Sambhaji Brigade has tried to retain its identity as a “social crusader”. In 2016, the organisation split with one group insisting on maintaining its social organisation profile while another section deciding to take the plunge into politics, which led to the emergence of the latter as a political outfit headed by Manoj Akhare.

A senior leader of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM), an umbrella organisation of state Maratha bodies, said that “the Theckaray-led Sena’s alliance with the Sambhaji Brigade is a bid to target the BJP-Shinde alliance,” adding that it is essentially aimed at checking the ruling BJP-Shinde Sena’s attempts to consolidate their support base among Marathas. Focusing their attack on the BJP, the Thackeray Sena-Sambhaji Brigade would play the regional pride card and pitch for Marathas-OBCs unity, the leader said.

The Maratha community accounts for 33 per cent of the total voters in Maharashtra. An effective outreach to Marathas has remained a major challenge for the BJP, which decided to hand over the CM’s chair to Shinde, a Maratha leader, despite being the senior partner for mainly two reasons: To woo the Maratha community and, secondly, to send out a signal that rather than being a destabilising force against its smaller allies it was accommodative and generous towards them.

An MKM chief coordinator said, “Marathas’ loyalty towards the NCP is difficult to shake. NCP is a conglomeration of a group of Maratha leaders who have comprehensive control of their constituencies.” With their huge cooperative networks including sugar mills, educational institutions and other organisations, the NCP leaders’ Maratha support base is difficult to breach, and it applies to the Congress’s Maratha leaders too, he said.

Many in state political circles believe that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP could be behind Sambhaji Brigade’s alliance with Thackeray Sena. They believe that besides helping Thackeray Sena to “stand on its own and counter the right-wing BJP”, the NCP would aim to emerge as the lead MVA player and try to achieve its target of 100 seats in the 288-member state Assembly.

While saying that his party’s differences with the Sambhaji Brigade can be resolved, Thackeray said, “We will fight against those out to destroy the Constitution and our regional culture,” adding that “It also shows our Hindutva is acceptable to Sambhaji Brigade. They joined us when we are not in power. Surely, we will work together and return to power.”

Manoj Akhare described their tie-up as a “progressive alliance”, sending out a message that it would work in the interest of Marathas as well as OBCs in the state.

The new state BJP president, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, an OBC leader, dismissed their alliance as a non-starter. He said, “In 2019 Assembly polls, Sambhaji Brigade had contested 40 seats. It polled only 0.68 per cent,” claiming that “they may make noises in public but when it comes to elections BJP-Shinde Sena will have a cakewalk”.

The political rhetoric apart, the sense within the BJP remains that getting Sambhaji Brigade on board is an astute move by the Thackeray Sena to enthuse its supporters who chose to stick to the party despite Shinde’s rebellion.