How Mahayuti turned the tables on MVA in Marathwada region amid Maratha quota row

After facing the heat of the Maratha quota stir in Marathwada during the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led ruling Mahayuti alliance managed to recover lost ground in the region, virtually reversing the trends in its favour in the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The Mahayuti alliance candidates are leading on 34 of 46 Assembly seats in Marathwada region. This is in stark contrast to the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results in which the Opposition MVA secured lead on 32 of 46 segments in the region.

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In terms of poll percentage too, the ruling Mahayuti outshone the Opposition MVA by securing 45.3% votes in the region, which was 11.8% more than what it polled during the Assembly elections. On the other hand, the MVA could only manage to secure 35% votes in Marathwada, down 8.8% as compared to the Lok Sabha elections.

The results in Marathwada have stunned many as they were contrary to the popular belief that the BJP and its alliance partners would fare poorly in the region due to rising tensions over Maratha OBC reservations. It also underlines the fact that the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil failed to mobilise support against the ruling Mahayuti alliance this time after successfully doing it during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The MVA was hopeful to garner support from Muslims, Marathas and Dalits in the region. However, it didn’t yield positive results despite the Congress promising to do away with 50% reservation cap to extend quota to Marathas, Dhangars and other communities. However, the Mahayuti led by the BJP intensified its efforts to consolidate its position among the OBCs from Mali, Dhangar, and Vanjari communities in an apparent bid to make up for the loss of Maratha votes. The BJP gamble seems to have paid off.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held a series of rallies in Marathwada, accusing the Congress and INDIA block of resorting to divisive politics and urging the voters not to fall prey to it.

Moreover, Jarange’s flip-flop on fielding his candidates in some of the Assembly segments also seem to have backfired and helped boost the poll prospects of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Notably, Jarange backed out of the electoral arena hours after announcing that he will field pro-Maratha quota supporters in some of the Assembly seats in the region and had reportedly finalised his candidates in 14 segments.