The stakes are towering in the heated battleground of Yeola, a constituency in Nashik’s rugged heart. Over 3.5 lakh voters stand at the crossroads of history, and their choices will shape the future of this politically charged district in North Maharashtra. Among them, the Marathas, a formidable force of over one lakh, watch with keen eyes. The OBC community, numbering around 55,000, readies itself for the fray, while the SC and ST communities, a potent bloc of 60,000 voters, become the kingmakers in this high-stakes drama.
The scene is set for a clash between two titans of the Nationalist Congress Party: Ajit Pawar’s lieutenant, the fiery Chhagan Bhujbal, a proud and defiant voice for the OBCs, and Manikrao Shinde, aligned with Sharad Pawar’s more measured leadership. Bhujbal, the veteran who once commanded unwavering loyalty, now faces the ire of the Marathas for his steadfast refusal to cede their demands for reservations at the expense of OBCs. The battle lines are drawn; every vote counts, and the SC and ST communities hold the power to tip the scale.
Dalit representation
Nashik, once the heart of Dalit politics, resounds with echoes of a bygone era. Memories of Bahurao “Dadasaheb” Gaikwad, Ambedkar’s stalwart, still stir the air. Gaikwad, the warrior who fought for land reform and led the historic Kalaram temple entry agitation, once transformed the Republican Party of India into a force to be reckoned with. But today, the landscape is starkly different — void of any towering Dalit leader, shattered by the splintering of its once-unified vote bank.
The 2024 State Assembly election is a jigsaw of ambition and division. Fourteen parties that claim to represent Dalit interests have fielded an unprecedented 437 candidates. Amidst this melee, the grandson of Dr Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar, and his Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi square off against heavyweights like Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), while Ramdas Athavale’s Republican Party of India (A) backs the BJP.
Splintered movement
But behind the roar of rallies and the clamor of promises lies a bitter truth. “Hardly any candidate from these Dalit parties will breach the assembly walls,” warns scribe Ravi Kamble. Decades of infighting have splintered the movement, leaving leaders tethered to mainstream parties for survival. Independent Dalit politics, once a roaring lion, now seems a shadow.
Prakash Ambedkar’s battle cry rings out against the storm. The mainstream parties want Dalit votes but shun the when it comes to sharing power, he states, rallying his party to stand alone, even as Dalit intellectuals implore unity to stem the BJP’s advance. It’s a risky wager, one that could splinter the vote further.
Years earlier, Ambedkar’s grand vision of a coalition uniting Dalits, minorities and OBCs with Left parties and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM flickered with promise. But like a fragile alliance built on shifting sands, it crumbled beneath the weight of differences.
Now, Mayawati takes to the stage, eyes blazing with defiance. “We fight alone because alliances serve only others,” she proclaims, cutting through the noise. “Our votes uplift them, but theirs never come to our aid. Caste is not dead — it thrives in the hearts of men,” she said during the public meeting in Pune.