Sandesh Prabhudesai
24 Feb 1998
It’s a remote control, not Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, but
the chakarmani - the Konkani head of the family working in Mumbai - who always
decides the fate of Ratnagiri and Rajapur constituencies of the Konkan region.
As Mumbai politics has its direct reflection in the two districts of
Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in the coastal region of Maharashtra, the fight here is obviously
between the Shiv Sena and the Congress, which has posed a serious challenge before the
ruling party this time.
No doubt the Sena has an edge in both the constituencies due to its
control over 11 Assembly segments out of 12, besides total control over the Zilla
Parishads, Nagar Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and villages panchayats.
In addition, two districts have three state ministers and a carrot
dangled before the Konkanis of the underdeveloped region, with Ratnagiri being declared as
horticulture zone and Sindhudurg as tourism zone. Completion of Konkan railway has also
brought fortunes.
But Sena’s spread at grassroot level has also brought in its
inherent factors of alleged terror and extortionist methods, which the equally strong
Congress is capitalising upon. The party appears ONE today, with Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao
Deshmukh taking initiative in resolving differences among the local leaders.
Thus it is not a cakewalk for Sena’s sitting MPs, Anant Geete of
Ratnagiri and Suresh Prabhu of Rajapur, who was also the sole central minister chosen from
Sena in Atel Bihari Vajpayee’s 13-day BJP government.
The Congress candidates are also the most respected ones, which has
weakened the Sena from being critical at personal level. On the contrary, it’s turn
of the Congress today to clamp down upon Prabhu for his alleged involvement in cobbler
scam and NBFC scam.
While resolving the differences among the local leaders, the Congress
has fielded Nishikant Joshi, former Chiplun MLA, who is having a clean political record
and editor of a district-based daily - Sagar.
In order to bring together groups led by former MP Major Sudhir Sawant
and Pravin Bhosle, sole Congress MLA from Sawantwadi, Pawar has managed to field a famous
theatre personality from the region, Machindra Kambli, who is creating waves with his
speeches in Malwani, added with sarcastic flavour.
But neither the scams, terror, image nor the Malwani identity matters
to them. With mills in Mumbai closing down and Konkan’s respected chakarmani
coming on roads, what they need desperately is jobs for the youngs and stable livelihood
in the village, whether fishing or agriculture.
Sensing the desperation, the candidates are also assuring them
non-pollutant industries, jobs in Konkan railway, self-employment measures, tourism
development, exempting fishermen from coastal zone regulations and infrastructural
development.
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RATNAGIRI
The 250 km-long Ratnagiri constituency, dominated by 60 per cent Kunbi
community, is spread from Mahad Assembly segment of Raigad district to Ratnagiri Assembly
segment, including Dapoli, Khed, Chiplun and Guhagar.
Though Congress represented it for seven times since 1952 to ’91,
with an exception of socialists defeating them in ’77 and ’80, it has been now
hijacked by the Sena from the Congress as well as the BJP, who has otherwise remained a
reckoned force and has even won the seat once in 1957.
Being from the Kunbi community, Geete, Mumbai’s Sena councillor,
has established his rule here since he contested for the first time in 1991, polling 43
per cent votes against Govindrao Nikam, the then Congress MP. It increased to 57 per cent,
when he won in ’96, against the same candidate.
"We lost because Muslim and RPI votes split, while our house was
also totally divided due to infighting", argues Balasaheb Shetye, the Congress
district general secretary. The Congress camp now seems jubilant because of unity between
groups led by Nikam and Joshi while young cadres are enthused due to Sonia Gandhi factor.
"The two lakh Muslims and one lakh RPI voters are with the
Congress, besides the small group of Samajwadi Party and the defunct Janata Dal",
claims Abushet Dalwai, 72-year old former JD president, who is also behind Joshi.
Chandrakant Deshpande, Sena’s district in-charge, however flays
Congress’ claim of creating a miracle this time. "Unlike in ’96, we have
today captured the ZP, panchayat samitis and 85 per cent village panchayats, with our
well-knit organisation at grassroot level", he claims.
Though Geete’s work-performance in last 18 months, besides
developmental works taken up by Sena’s two state ministers from the district, is
their strength, Sujit Ziman, leader of the Kunbi-dominated Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, is a pain
in their neck.
Though a former Congress leader, Ziman is expected to split sizeable
votes of around 1.25 lakh he polled in last year’s ZP polls, mainly weakening
Sena’s position. Congress leaders here claim of having a secret pact with Ziman.
The Sena may also suffer a little setback due to its position on the
controversial Enron power project. Surendra Thatte of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch is also
contesting, making Enron an issue, though it is limited to only five villages of Guhagar
Assembly segment.
But threat to Geete is from the committed RSS cadres spread throughout
the constituency, if they decide to show sympathy to the cause Thatte has raised. In
addition, Kishor Sawant of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, though not a force, may also weaken
Sena’s position further in Geete’s home-town of Khed.
More than rallies addressed by Sena leaders Uddhav Thackeray and
Manohar Joshi and Sharad Pawar and Chagan Bhujbal of the Congress, it ultimately depends
on how the locals would react to Sena’s work in the area and the stand Mumbai-based chakarmani
takes, in tune with the Mumbai’s present political scenario.
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RAJAPUR
A fort of socialists like Nath Pai and Madhu Dandvate for nine
continuos terms till 1989 is roaring with Shivshahi’s lion today since
’91, though Sena won it only last time with Malwanis giving verdict in favour of
Suresh Prabhu.
Over eight lakh electorate of the Rajapur constituency is today divided
into six Assembly segments, Rajapur and Sangameshwar from Ratnagiri district and Malwan,
Vengurla, Devgad and Sawantwadi from Sindhudurg district.
After facing a miserable defeat twice, from the Congress in ’91
and Sena in ’96, Dandvate has now backed out from the fray, fielding former Vengurla
MLA Pushpsen Sawant, a hard-working, dashing and young farmer. But with almost all the
cadres shifting over to the Sena, the Janata Dal is a very small force today.
Though 50 per cent Maratha is a dominant force here, Sawant would not
be rescued by his community. On the contrary, the Maratha Mahasangh has publicly rendered
its support to the Congress. Still, a large chunk of it are the shiv sainiks.
After securing a lead of around 66,000, Prabhu today claims to
overscore the Congress by over one lakh votes. "I have no rival left in the
fray", he claims while people also seems to have been fascinated with the high
profile image of the former union industries minister.
But the Sena is still banking upon two Assembly segments of Ratnagiri
district, Rajapur and Sangameshwar, fully dominated by Kunbis. With the Sena’s state
ministers’ works, it has also made enough inroads in Congress bastions of Malwan,
Devgad and Sawantwadi segments.
But the Congress cadres are still not mobilised in the two segments
falling in Ratnagiri district, giving clean chit to the Sena here. Machindra Kambli, hero
of the Malwani theatre, seems to be still concentrating in four Malwani-speaking
segments of Sindhudurg.
"We have cadres, but not mobilised in an organised manner",
admits Kishor Salgaokar, the local Youth Congress president. Though partymen are happy
with the candidate, while also bringing together groups led by former MP Sawant and MLA
Pravin Bhosle, Kambli is a late-comer to build the organisation.
He feels people would vote for him because he has spent his life here
till ’62 and has made up his life in Mumbai by granting accordable status to Malwani
identity, unlike "outsiders" like Prabhu. People definitely respond to his Malwani
speeches, but whether it would convert into a vote is a question.
Besides well-attended rallies of Pawar and Bhujbal in last two weeks,
the Congress is now also banking upon around one lakh RPI votes and 25,000 Muslims. But
they are mainly depending upon their traditional voter and the Bhandari, the community
Kambli represents.
"My 25 per cent Bhandari community in the coastal belt would
definitely vote for me", he claims. As theatre world is full with politics, he says
the political scenario is also one kind of drama. "It would end with an anti-climax
for Kambli", quips a shiv sainik.
Also seen struggling hard to maintain its hold over old socialist
cadres are Dandvate, his wife Pramila, Ahilya Ranganekar and few other leaders from
Mumbai, who are touring the whole constituency. But JD appears to be a weak force
everywhere, except in Sawant’s former Assembly constituency of Kudal.
Unlike in Ratnagiri, the Sena here is threatened only by Dr Nalini
Bhuvad, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, again representing the Kunbi community. Being a local,
she has mobilised quite a few number of youth around her.
Though merger of border areas of Karnataka like Belgaum, Nipani etc is
a non-issue in Konkan, Kiran Thakur, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti leader and Tarun
Bharat editor, is also contesting. His daily being the largest circulated one here, he
may split sizeable number of votes, but from all the parties.
Rather than the border issue, community politics or Malwani identity,
the Konkanis here today need a person who can uplift their standard of living. As
there is no match to Prabhu in the contest, locals are only waiting for him to become the
minister once again in the BJP-led government.
