MUMBAI: Maharashtra politics has been dominated by Marathas and OBCs for several decades, but now it appears that Brahmins have returned to the fore after the appointment of senior BJP leaders.

Nagpur-based Devendra Fadnavis was appointed state BJP president and simultaneously Nitin Gadkari, also from Nagpur, was appointed BJP’s national president. Gadkari had to subsequently quit the post in view of a controversy over a few companies indirectly controlled by him. On Monday, along with Gadkari, Pune-based Prakash Javadekar was sworn in as Union minister. Gadkari will be the road transport, highways and shipping minister, while Javadekar has been entrusted the departments of information & broadcasting, environment, forest, climate change and parliamentary affairs.

In 1947, Pune was represented by Narhar Gadgil in the Union cabinet for a decade. He was followed by his son, Vithalrao Gadgil, who was minister of state for defence (1975-77). In 1980-83, he was minister of state for communication and in 1983-85, minister of state for information & broadcasting, a portfolio now assigned to Javadekar.

For well over two decades, the BJP has been emphasizing on spreading its tentacles in all religions, castes and communities. “It’s not only Brahmins, we are encouraging all communities. The appointment of Fadnavis, Gadkari and Javadekar are purely on merit,’’ a senior party leader said.

But he admitted that it was for the first time in the party’s recent history that they had given importance to members of upper caste communities.

The BJP has drafted a multipronged strategy for the assembly polls. The trio of Fadnavis, Gadkari and Javadekar has been entrusted responsibility of the upper caste communities, Gopinath Munde and Raosaheb Danve, the newly-inducted cabinet member from Jalna in Marathwada region will concentrate on OBCs and Marathas, while Piyush Goyal is expected to build a rapport with the Marwari, Gujarati and Jain communities.

The BJP leader said that in 1995, there was a prolonged debate over the appointment of the chief minister when the saffron combine had dislodged the Congress government. Manohar Joshi had emerged as the top contender, but since he was a Brahmin, there was strong opposition to his candidature. It was brought to the notice of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray that it would be wrong to appoint a Brahmin as CM. “Thackeray heard the views of all leaders of the BJP and Sena and then decided to appoint Joshi as chief minister,’’ he said.

