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In the wheels within the wheels of powerful NCP Games, Chhagan Bhujbal has now put a voice. Soon after Ajit Pawar suggested that he wanted a role in party organization, which is understood from the post of NCP President in Maharashtra, Bahjbal said that the new head of the party in the state should be OBC.
Bhujbal is himself the leader of the OBC, and a staunch advocate for the group’s cause, hence one view is that he was putting up his name. The other view, considering how NCP Chairman Sharad Pawar has proved one step ahead of Ajit at all times, is that Bhojbal was acting on behalf of the old horse to scuttle his nephew’s chances.
From every side one looks at, Boujbal Calling has a lot of merit. The NCP could not ignore the image of the pro-Maratha party even after 24 years of formation, with most of its senior leadership belonging to the community. OBCs make up 40% of the population of Maharashtra, which is larger than Marathas at 33%. Each party seeks to co-opt the OBC vote, with both the Congress State President (Nana Patul) and the BJP’s (Chandrashekhar Bawankule) being from the OBC. Bahjbal himself has earned his reputation as the leader of the OBC, with his many years spent in politics and his vociferous expression of the OBC cause.
His impatience for a bigger role in the NCP now barely concealing, Ajit played his latest move at the party’s masked meeting held in Mumbai earlier this week, in the presence of Sharad Pawar. Days after the NCP chief revealed his plan for succession, with Supriya Soli and Praful Patil as working chairpersons, and the latter did not speak of Ajit, the latter said, “I have never been keen on the role of Leader of the Opposition (in the assembly). I accepted him because of a signature campaign by MLAs for the party… I’m willing to give up this position… I’d be happier to work for the organization.”
While Ajit added, “Give me any role”, there was little doubt left about what the NCP leader wanted. With Sole’s position as the nationalist face made clear, Ajit was suggesting that Maharashtrian unity should be left to him in the end. Incidentally, among the states Sully has been assigned to is Maharashtra.
Days later, Boujbal, known for his outspoken rhetoric, warned the National Congress Party (NCP) not to observe “social engineering”. He said, “If you have a Maratha as a LoP, then he should be the state party chief of the OBC”.
Bahjibal added, “I would also like to serve as head of state. Else, there are several OBC leaders in the party — Sunil Tatkar, Jitendra Uhad, Dhananjay Mundi — who can be considered.”
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