Sakal Times
October 18, 2011
Dalit factor in Maharashtra civic polls
Athavale has emerged the strongest Dalit leader in state
The process for preparing the voters lists for the forthcoming elections to the eight major municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has began and all major political parties have also began the preliminary preparations to face the electorates. These elections to be held early 2012 would indeed be a rehearsal for the state assembly polls scheduled to be held in 2014. The civic polls are being held in the backdrop of the nationwide spontaneous protest on the issues of corruption and a stronger version of the Lokpal Bill. The protests which saw younger generation and even apolitical persons arriving on the streets to express their dissent over the issue of corruption is bound to be reflected in the outcome of the civic polls. Another new factor which is likely to swing the poll fortune is Dalit and Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavale crossing over the NCP-Congress boat to join the saffron alliance camp of the Shiv Sena and BJP. The ruling Congress-led Progressive Democratic Front in Maharashtra has strong reasons to be jittery over these two issues.
The current tempo on the Jan Lokpal Bill may not prevail when the electorate cast their votes for the civic polls six months later. Much to the delight of the Congress and its ruling partners, the Team Anna camp has already shown many signs of breaking up. By the time polls for Uttar Pradesh and other state assemblies are conducted, the heat generated over the Lokpal bill issue may be blown over but this will not be the case with the Dalit votes in Maharashtra. Athavale distanced himself away from his two-decades-old ally - the NCP - after his humiliating defeat in Shirdi reserved Lok Sabha seat and the NCP's refusal to rehabilitate him with a seat in Rajya Sabha and a berth in Union ministry. Athavale was peeved when his repeated efforts to win an entry into the UPA-I Government failed despite he going all out to appease Congress president Sonia Gandhi. His decision to breakaway from the secular front and ally with the right wing Shiv Sena although most shocking was therefore quite understandable.
Dalits are a formidable force in electoral battles in Maharashtra and their votes can swing the hustings outcome some or the other way. Fortunately for the non-Dalit political parties, Dalit votes have been split into several factions. The Republican Party of India came into existence after the demise of Dr Ambedkar and it has come to be recognised in Maharashtra as the political legacy of Dr Ambedkar. But the none of the Dalit leaders have been successful in politically uniting their community under this umbrella. Knowing the power of the Dalit votes, all political parties have tried woo to their camps leaders of various Dalit factions. The personality and thoughts of Dr Amebdkar has been a unifying factor for the Dalit community but their leaders' personal ambitions and designs of other political forces have kept the Dalit community divided and away from political power in Maharashtra for many years. It was Dr Dadasaheb Gaikwad, a close confidant of Dr Ambedkar, who first fell prey to the machination of non-Dalit politicians and left the Dalit plank in 1960s to become a Congress MP. Dadasaheb Rupawate was another Dalit leader to abandon the RPI banner to be a state minister in the Congress government. R S Gawai, present Kerala governor, who has always occupied some or the other elected or constitutional posts - be it chairman of the Maharashtra state legislative council or Rajya Sabha member – thanks to his proximity to the ruling Congress party notwithstanding the independent banner of his RPI faction.
The present generation of Dalit leaders, Athavale, Dr Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade or Namdeo Dhasal have independently failed consolidate the Dalit votes. It has been proved time and again that the victory of the Dalit candidates is certain if all these leaders come under one banner. History was made Sharad Pawar of the Congress succeeded in forming an alliance with all these Dalit leaders in 1998 Lok Sabha polls and for the first time, Athavale, Kawade, Gavai and Ambedkar were elected to the Lok Sabha from reserved as well as general seats. Unity of the Dalit factions is a major threat both to the Congress-led and Shiv Sena-led fronts but this realisation has not forced the Dalit leaders to suppress their personal ambitions for the cause of the Dalit community.
Prakash Ambedkar has been consistent in shunning both the Congress and the saffron fronts but he has not been able to increase his influence beyond Akola district. He has not played any active role in increasing the influence of Bharatiya Republican Party- Bahujan Mahasangh all over the state. He has
the charisma associated with his surname but he has failed to exploit for his political good. Among all Dalit leaders in Maharashtra, it is only Athavale who had been in the corridors of power for nearly two decades, thanks to his association with Sharad Pawar. This has enabled him to emerge as the strongest Dalit leader in the state. His party has presence in various municipal corporations and councils in the state. The question is: How many Dalit voters will side with Athavale and vote for the saffron alliance. The Dalit community is certainly dismayed over the factionalisation of their votes and their marginalisation in political power. Both the Congress and the NCP have vied with each other in consolidating their Maratha votes while the BJP and Shiv Sena has in the recent past wooed the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Dalit votes, on the other hand, are divided among various parties, leading the community leaders nowhere. It is possible this realisation may lead to disillusioned Dalit voters to rally around Athavale – the only RPI faction leader who can pull maximum votes- no matter with which political party he decides to go along. Unlike the earlier Dalit leaders, Athavale has not sank the boat of his faction of the Republican Party of India and that stands his greatest advantage to attract those Dalits voters very conscious of their independent identity. This factor is likely to consolidate the Dalit votes in favour of Athavale's faction and prove beneficial for the saffron alliance. But if Athavale fails to win over the majority Dalit votes, that would put a question mark over the very existence of the united Dalits vote bank in the state.
October 18, 2011
Dalit factor in Maharashtra civic polls
Athavale has emerged the strongest Dalit leader in state
The process for preparing the voters lists for the forthcoming elections to the eight major municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has began and all major political parties have also began the preliminary preparations to face the electorates. These elections to be held early 2012 would indeed be a rehearsal for the state assembly polls scheduled to be held in 2014. The civic polls are being held in the backdrop of the nationwide spontaneous protest on the issues of corruption and a stronger version of the Lokpal Bill. The protests which saw younger generation and even apolitical persons arriving on the streets to express their dissent over the issue of corruption is bound to be reflected in the outcome of the civic polls. Another new factor which is likely to swing the poll fortune is Dalit and Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavale crossing over the NCP-Congress boat to join the saffron alliance camp of the Shiv Sena and BJP. The ruling Congress-led Progressive Democratic Front in Maharashtra has strong reasons to be jittery over these two issues.
The current tempo on the Jan Lokpal Bill may not prevail when the electorate cast their votes for the civic polls six months later. Much to the delight of the Congress and its ruling partners, the Team Anna camp has already shown many signs of breaking up. By the time polls for Uttar Pradesh and other state assemblies are conducted, the heat generated over the Lokpal bill issue may be blown over but this will not be the case with the Dalit votes in Maharashtra. Athavale distanced himself away from his two-decades-old ally - the NCP - after his humiliating defeat in Shirdi reserved Lok Sabha seat and the NCP's refusal to rehabilitate him with a seat in Rajya Sabha and a berth in Union ministry. Athavale was peeved when his repeated efforts to win an entry into the UPA-I Government failed despite he going all out to appease Congress president Sonia Gandhi. His decision to breakaway from the secular front and ally with the right wing Shiv Sena although most shocking was therefore quite understandable.
Dalits are a formidable force in electoral battles in Maharashtra and their votes can swing the hustings outcome some or the other way. Fortunately for the non-Dalit political parties, Dalit votes have been split into several factions. The Republican Party of India came into existence after the demise of Dr Ambedkar and it has come to be recognised in Maharashtra as the political legacy of Dr Ambedkar. But the none of the Dalit leaders have been successful in politically uniting their community under this umbrella. Knowing the power of the Dalit votes, all political parties have tried woo to their camps leaders of various Dalit factions. The personality and thoughts of Dr Amebdkar has been a unifying factor for the Dalit community but their leaders' personal ambitions and designs of other political forces have kept the Dalit community divided and away from political power in Maharashtra for many years. It was Dr Dadasaheb Gaikwad, a close confidant of Dr Ambedkar, who first fell prey to the machination of non-Dalit politicians and left the Dalit plank in 1960s to become a Congress MP. Dadasaheb Rupawate was another Dalit leader to abandon the RPI banner to be a state minister in the Congress government. R S Gawai, present Kerala governor, who has always occupied some or the other elected or constitutional posts - be it chairman of the Maharashtra state legislative council or Rajya Sabha member – thanks to his proximity to the ruling Congress party notwithstanding the independent banner of his RPI faction.
The present generation of Dalit leaders, Athavale, Dr Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade or Namdeo Dhasal have independently failed consolidate the Dalit votes. It has been proved time and again that the victory of the Dalit candidates is certain if all these leaders come under one banner. History was made Sharad Pawar of the Congress succeeded in forming an alliance with all these Dalit leaders in 1998 Lok Sabha polls and for the first time, Athavale, Kawade, Gavai and Ambedkar were elected to the Lok Sabha from reserved as well as general seats. Unity of the Dalit factions is a major threat both to the Congress-led and Shiv Sena-led fronts but this realisation has not forced the Dalit leaders to suppress their personal ambitions for the cause of the Dalit community.
Prakash Ambedkar has been consistent in shunning both the Congress and the saffron fronts but he has not been able to increase his influence beyond Akola district. He has not played any active role in increasing the influence of Bharatiya Republican Party- Bahujan Mahasangh all over the state. He has
the charisma associated with his surname but he has failed to exploit for his political good. Among all Dalit leaders in Maharashtra, it is only Athavale who had been in the corridors of power for nearly two decades, thanks to his association with Sharad Pawar. This has enabled him to emerge as the strongest Dalit leader in the state. His party has presence in various municipal corporations and councils in the state. The question is: How many Dalit voters will side with Athavale and vote for the saffron alliance. The Dalit community is certainly dismayed over the factionalisation of their votes and their marginalisation in political power. Both the Congress and the NCP have vied with each other in consolidating their Maratha votes while the BJP and Shiv Sena has in the recent past wooed the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Dalit votes, on the other hand, are divided among various parties, leading the community leaders nowhere. It is possible this realisation may lead to disillusioned Dalit voters to rally around Athavale – the only RPI faction leader who can pull maximum votes- no matter with which political party he decides to go along. Unlike the earlier Dalit leaders, Athavale has not sank the boat of his faction of the Republican Party of India and that stands his greatest advantage to attract those Dalits voters very conscious of their independent identity. This factor is likely to consolidate the Dalit votes in favour of Athavale's faction and prove beneficial for the saffron alliance. But if Athavale fails to win over the majority Dalit votes, that would put a question mark over the very existence of the united Dalits vote bank in the state.
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