Sun Nov 24 21:21:07 UTC 2024: ## BJP’s Electoral Sweep in Maharashtra: A Shift in Caste Dynamics

**Mumbai, November 25, 2024** – A new Lokniti survey reveals a significant realignment of caste-based voting patterns in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, contributing to the BJP-led Mahayuti’s landslide victory. The survey indicates a substantial erosion of the Congress’s traditional Maratha-Kunbi vote bank, with nearly 30% of Marathas now favoring the BJP. This trend, building since the BJP’s rise in 2014, demonstrates a consolidation of support among upper castes, Marathas, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) behind the BJP.

The BJP’s success extends beyond the Maratha community. Almost 40% of OBCs also expressed a preference for the BJP, while significant portions of Adivasi (25%) and Scheduled Caste (20%) voters also supported the Mahayuti. This broad-based support across various communities, according to political scientists Suhas Palshikar and Nitin Birmal, created an “invincible Hindu umbrella” for the ruling coalition.

In contrast, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance received only fragmented support, particularly among Scheduled Castes, where a significant portion voted for parties outside both the MVA and Mahayuti. The analysis suggests a continued trend observed since 2014 – a consolidation of support for the BJP among upper castes, Marathas, and OBCs, while SCs, Adivasis, and Muslims remain less consolidated in their voting patterns. The survey highlights a clear shift in the state’s political landscape, with the BJP successfully broadening its appeal across various caste groups.

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