Govt targets multiple goals in one attempt

Mumbai: Though paying respects to Maharani Ahilyadevi Holkar on the occasion of her tri-centenary is said to be the sole purpose of the meeting of the council of ministers to be held at Ahilyanagar on Tuesday, internal sources cite socio-political issues pertaining to the core voter base of Mahayuti as the real reason behind the meeting.

The Shiv Sena-BJP government of 1995 started the tradition of holding cabinet meetings in different parts of the state in order to send a message of its commitment to the development of those areas. Successive governments continued with the practice so much so that it has now become a tradition of sorts. However, the Mahayuti Cabinet’s Ahilyanagar meeting assumes significance as it is be the first Cabinet meeting to be held in the district by any party or coalition’s government in Maharashtra so far.

Also, it is a sort of reaffirmation to the coalition’s commitment which they demonstrated in 2023 in the form of renaming Ahmednagar district to Ahilyanagar to honour the Queen.

The decision taken ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls was part of its strategy to appeal to the Dhangar community, and also to signal its position against Muslim rulers. Moreover, it was part of the BJP’s plan to keep its core voter base within the Dhangar community intact.

Though Ahilyadevi Holkar is highly revered among all castes and communities, present-day Holkars belong to the Dhangar community. The community, numbering at nine per cent of the state population, is a significant vote bank. In terms of electoral politics, Dhangars play a decisive role in seven to nine Lok Sabha seats and 35 to 40 Assembly constituencies.

Ahilyadevi was born in Chondi village in May 1725. That too is the reason why the district and the city were named after her.

Dhangar reservation

Moreover, the BJP had promised reservation to Dhangars under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category in 2012-13. However, it remains unfulfilled even though the state government has earmarked welfare schemes and funds for the Dhangar community. The non-fulfilment of promises has shaken the BJP’s base within Dhangar community and some leaders, like Mahadeo Jankar, are said to have started searching for other options in the Indi alliance. By holding the cabinet meeting at Ahilyanagar, the BJP wants to send out a message to all such leaders that it is aware of its promises and it shall pursue the cause.

State Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde and Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, both hail from the Ahilyanagar district. The two BJP leaders have been engaged in the preparations for the Cabinet meeting form almost about a month. The Public Works Department had issued a Rs 1.5 crore tender to make arrangements and build basic infrastructure in Chondi for the meeting.

However, it was embroiled in controversy after a newspaper misinterpreted it to be Rs 150 crore tender. More than the opposition’s attempt to target the government over such issues, the Mahayuti alliance parties appear to be more worried about the factionalism within the district units. The meeting is expected to reaffirm status of existing leadership and thereby give a breather to the state leadership until the local body elections expected later this year.