WOO AND WIN
THE WEEK India|November 17, 2024
Recent developments have split the Maratha vote. The party that better articulates its engagement with the community's concerns stands to benefit
KAVITHA IYER
WOO AND WIN

On the morning of November 4, only hours after he declared at a news conference, sniffling and in tears, that the time was right for Marathas to exact vengeance on the Maharashtra government for the economic hardships heaped on the agrarian community, Manoj Jarange Patil returned to face the news crews again. “It is not possible to contest on the basis of only one community,” he said. Muslim and dalit parties, who he had been in talks with until 3am, had not sent lists of candidates they were to jointly back.

Across the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, scores of Maratha candidates who had filed their nomination papers for the November 20 assembly elections were directed to withdraw from the fray. To a question on who or which party/alliance he would direct Maratha voters to reject, Jarange Patil said he would spell out his mandate soon.

Even without an edict from the leader of a series of statewide agitations seeking reservations for Marathas from within the Other Backward Classes quota, the morning announcement on the last date for withdrawal of nominations was an inflection point.

The anger of the Maratha community—almost 31 per cent of the state’s population—is considered one of the biggest factors in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA’s poor show in the Lok Sabha elections this summer.

Amid the post-Haryana election political tailwinds for the Mahayuti combine of the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), Jarange Patil’s announcement indicated the possibility of a repeat, at least in some regions, of what the Maratha leader himself acknowledged as the Lok Sabha pattern.

This story is from the November 17, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 17, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView All
Forging the future
THE WEEK India

Forging the future

As the curtain falls on 2024, I take pride in the extraordinary milestones achieved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This year stands as a testament to the Modi government's resolve to forge a resilient and forward-looking Bharat. From groundbreaking advancements in infrastructure to visionary global initiatives, these efforts resonate deeply with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 12, 2025
Our strange democracy
THE WEEK India

Our strange democracy

Abraham Lincoln is lauded as among the very best presidents the US ever had: the statesman par excellence successfully steered the nation through the devastating and perilous years of the American civil war. Not only did Lincoln manage to keep his country united, he also ensured the passage of the 13th amendment to the US constitution, which abolished slavery.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 12, 2025
Five years of post-pandemic fashion
THE WEEK India

Five years of post-pandemic fashion

It has been five years since we discovered what Covid-19 was, and five years since it disrupted the world forever. The World Health Organization activated their emergency systems on January 1, 2020, and informed the world by January 4, 2020. By the end of that week, they had set guidelines for various countries to follow. Comparable to the Spanish flu of 1918, more than 7 million people have died of Covid according to official data. Unofficially, no one has an idea. WHO has just this week asked China to provide critical data to understand the virus's origins as a “moral and scientific imperative”.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 12, 2025
Community spirit
THE WEEK India

Community spirit

Rhythm of Dammam opens a window to the world of African-origin Siddis of Uttara Kannada

time-read
4 mins  |
January 12, 2025
'Breaking' down a scandal
THE WEEK India

'Breaking' down a scandal

Society Girl is not just a case study of a high-profile death in Pakistan but also a stark commentary on media trials

time-read
2 mins  |
January 12, 2025
Progress card
THE WEEK India

Progress card

Jasmine Shah's book tells you what the AAP has achieved in Delhi in the last 10 years

time-read
2 mins  |
January 12, 2025
SENSE IN NONSENSE
THE WEEK India

SENSE IN NONSENSE

In his latest book of poetry, Ruskin Bond is at his funniest

time-read
4 mins  |
January 12, 2025
Get ready for Trump bump
THE WEEK India

Get ready for Trump bump

The ‘butterfly effect’ is a beautiful, mysterious metaphor of the planet’s interconnectedness.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 12, 2025
QUIET FLOWS THE FAITH
THE WEEK India

QUIET FLOWS THE FAITH

The melding of an ancient amorphous faith and the latest science; of an antique tradition and new practices; ways of life older than memory and new expressions is happening at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

time-read
8 mins  |
January 12, 2025
Trash to treasure
THE WEEK India

Trash to treasure

How a weed-choked Dal Lake spurred Maninder Singh's journey to become a waste management visionary

time-read
6 mins  |
January 12, 2025