Can Ajit Pawar’s pink strategy turn around NCP’s fortunes?

Pune: Nearly a week ago, when the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar sounded the bugle for the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra by holding a public rally in Baramati, one couldn’t help but notice a wash of pink hue all around – from giant cut-outs to hoardings to clothing, the colour was the mainstay of the rally, which was attended by all senior party leaders, apart from the leader of the party.

The message was clear. The colour which is associated with feminine energy in the West, was used to reach out to women, a key electorate in the region known to vote independent of their male counterparts thanks to enhanced literacy and greater political participation.

Political analyst Abhay Deshpande observed, Ajit Pawar has so far been perceived as a rustic leader with deep roots in rural parts. Now, the strategist working for him wants him to emerge from that image and be projected as an urban leader who can be more appealing to young voters. “Adding a new colour is part of that strategy,” said Deshpande.

NCP however is not the first to use this colour. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi, formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi, has used pink in its flags and other campaign material in the past.

After its disappointing performance in the national elections, as an alliance partner of the ruling Mahayuti, where the party lost all four seats it contested, the Ajit Pawar-led party is clearly making a frantic effort to revamp its image and enhance its prospects for the upcoming assembly polls.

While NCP’s symbol remains unchanged, the clock is ticking. Party insiders say the new colour was embraced on the recommendation of DesignBoxed Innovations Pvt Ltd, a creative political digital campaign management firm, hired by NCP. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar let it slip during the recently concluded monsoon assembly session in Mumbai that the firm was hired in order to change the party’s perception, and that Naresh Arora, the co-founder of DesignBoxed, “was guiding Dada in drawing up fresh political strategies”.

The website of DesignBoxed, founded in 2010, displays that it has had political parties from multiple states, including Rajasthan and Karnataka, as its clients. On the advice of strategists, the party plans to use pink prominently in all NCP events, backdrops, banners, print and media advertisements, as well as on the party’s social media platforms.

What’s more, Ajit Pawar has himself brought about changes in his clothing – he has lately been seen wearing onion-pink jackets. It is learnt that the leader has bought at least 18 jackets in this colour to make it a mainstay in his wardrobe. His sartorial choice was first noticed when he presented the state budget, as he holds the finance portfolio apart from being the deputy chief minister. Before that, he used to be seen in white kurta-pajamas with a black or blue jacket thrown in occasionally.

During his visit to Pune on Saturday, when reporters asked him about the change of style, he retorted, “Doesn’t everyone have the right to wear what they want? I wear clothes I bought for myself. Have I asked you to pay for them?”

When reporters persisted with the subtext of the party’s re-branding exercise he replied, “I wear clothes led by my subconscious. However, you know me since long; and I have not done such a thing in the past.”

A senior party leader said, through pink NCP is trying to reach out to women. “It is a colour normally associated with women. Ajit dada, NCP, and our government have announced many initiatives for women, and we plan to take those schemes to this constituency,” said the leader.

The finance minister announced the chief minister’s Majhi Laadki Bahin Yojana during the budget. The scheme, announced on July 1 will give ₹1,500 per month to underprivileged women. Although the deadline for applications is August 31, it has already received 44 lakh applications online from women aged between 21 and 60. Besides this, the state government has also announced providing a 100% fee waiver to girls pursuing higher education in the state; a formal government resolution was issued declaring this. The party has also devised a plan to reach out to women, highlighting popular schemes announced in the budget through its Jan-Sanman Yatra, which began in Baramati on July 14 when the leader of the party held a rally.

According to data shared by the Election Commission just before the Lok Sabha polls, Maharashtra has a total of 9.50 crore electorate of which 4.43 crore are women.

Suraj Chavan, NCP spokesperson and youth wing president, said pink is the colour of love and affection. “It is also the party’s attempt to increase its outreach to girls and women, for whom a slew of initiatives was announced in the recent budget,” he said.

For Ajit Pawar, improving performance in the assembly elections is crucial as it is also linked to his political future. Last year on July 2, he led a rebellion against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar by walking out with a majority of the party’s 40-odd MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government. However, after the drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls there have been murmurs of some MLAs planning to return to Sharad Pawar’s party.

A DesignBoxed executive, who did not wish to be named, said, “Pink is the colour of happiness with which Ajit Pawar wishes to go for assembly polls. It is also the symbol associated with feminism.”

“Colour plays a significant role in political branding and identity; it provides an immediate visual cue that conveys a party’s values and ideologies. In India, where politics is largely identity-based, the use of colour by political parties is both strategic and symbolic,” said Abhay Deshpande. In 2020, following reversal of fortunes in the state assembly polls as it won only one seat of Kalyan, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena changed the colour of the flag from blue, white, orange and green to saffron in an attempt to project itself as a pro-Hindutva party.

Will the new colour code nurture the NCP back to good health?

Colour codes

Saffron: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prominently features saffron in its flags and hoardings – it is a colour deeply rooted in Hindu culture and aligns with the party’s ideology of promoting Hindu nationalism and cultural pride. The use of saffron helps BJP establish a strong connection with its core voter base, evoking a sense of tradition and identity.

In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have been using saffron in their visual identity. For the Shiv Sena, the colour is a symbolism for promoting rights of the Marathi manoos as well as Hindu nationalism. The breakaway MNS uses it to establish regional identity and appeal to the same demographic.

The tricolour: The white in the Indian National Congress’s tricolour represents peace and purity, reflecting the party’s historical emphasis on non-violence and its role in India’s independence movement. Green symbolises growth and fertility, while saffron stands for courage and sacrifice. The arrangement also mirrors in the national flag, emphasising the Congress’s positioning as a unifying force in the diverse fabric of India.

Blue: The Republican Party of India (RPI) adopted blue as its primary colour. The colour is associated with the Dalit movement, and symbolises the struggles and aspirations of marginalized communities. Through the use of blue, RPI and several other parties leaning towards Dalit politics highlight their commitment to social justice, equality and the uplift of oppressed groups.