What makes Pramod Special

Pramod Mahajan's stock in national politics went up with L.K. Advani’s rath yatra in 1990, when he was the manager of the yatra. But his greatest claim to fame was taking the BJP to power in Maharashtra.

From a party limited to a few urban pockets, the BJP spread across the state as the brothers-in-law — Mahajan and Gopinath Munde — took the party to the masses and beyond upper class Hindus. Mahajan successfully implemented a strategy to appeal to a combination of Marathas and OBCs — including Mali, Dhangar and Vanjari castes — that helped create broad-based appeal for the BJP among people.

Two decades ago, when the RSS was still dismissing Bal Thackeray and his Shiv Sena as a bunch of goons, Mahajan forged an alliance with the Sena. Riding on a strong Hindu wave post the Mumbai riots, the saffron combine came to power in 1995.

“He forced the BJP to forge an alliance with the Sena when there was a lot of opposition from that party. I must say he is one politician who can anticipate future politics and make moves,” says NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, the Sena’s pointsman during talks with Mahajan in 1989.

Mahajan is probably the only Brahmin leader in Maharashtra who has statewide appeal. But he didn’t have a strong support base then. This is where Munde stepped in. The OBC leader built the base and the two acted in tandem — Munde was the mass leader while Mahajan handled the backroom politics.

Besides those his party, Mahajan has friends in other parties too — NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Sena leader Manohar Joshi to name a few.

However, with success comes unpopularity. There is a sizeable section in the BJP and Sangh who hate Mahajan for bringing the “five star culture” to the party. But even they don’t deny that it was  he who brought the BJP closer to the industrialists and corporate world, which proved crucial when the party reached within striking distance of power in New Delhi after the mid-1990s.