Can The Cousins Roar Again?
Suryakant Waghmore
Jul 3, 2025, 20:56 IST IST
Diminished political influence gives both Raj and Uddhav reason to stand together. But mobilising Marathi nativism to take on Hindi-Hindutva will be tough on the back of opportunism alone
Maharashtra has seen several political realignments over the last decade. And these are being continually reorganised, as BJP consolidates its dominance in this state. The rise of nationalist Hinduism under BJP, and the making of Hinduism as a civil religion, has led to splits in NCP and Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, INC has seen key leaders desert it, as its presence has dwindled in Vidhan Sabha. Politics is still bipolar, except BJP is now a key force with multiple but scattered opponents.
As for the electorate, it's increasingly moving towards ideology-based rather than just issue-based voting. This too helps explain the rise of BJP. The success of its nationalist Hinduism is tied to ideas that merge Hindu pride and developmentalism. A high culture is thus mobilised for Hindus beyond primordial loyalties of caste and region. Congress, on the other hand, has been largely dominated by caste and patronage politics, with a secular outer cover.
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