Protests likely to have political repercussions

Mumbai: Although the electoral performance displays the positive impact of Maratha agitation for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but at the same time continued agitations from different communities raises a question on the administrative capacity of the state government.

The agitations planned by the Maratha, Dalit, Dhangar, Muslim and Banjara communities in the coming two months will definitely have a political impact.

Despite the consistent protest against the government in the Western Maharashtra by the Marathas and then farmers’, BJP registered the single-handed win in Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad municipality. It also won back the Jalgaon municipality.

There were talks of BJP being successful in consolidating small non-Maratha communities during the Maratha protest. So, political observers believe that this Maratha agitation is unlikely to damage BJP’s electoral prospects.

On the other hand the other consistent agitations like Dhangar, Dalit, and even groups like Anganwadi employees and now government employees might make a negative impact on the state government.

“State is consistently under agitations from various groups, including castes and professions, against government. So, wider picture is BJP is failing to keep different corners of society happy. The collective impact of this will definitely political and which will not good for Bharatiya Janata Party,” said Prakash Bal, senior political expert.