Mastermind behind Mahayuti’s Maharashtra triumph: Not Shinde, Fadnavis, but an RSS-linked power player

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 were a complete surprise for the opposition, as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a resounding victory in the state. The trio of Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar has received praise for Mahayuti's performance.

Apart from the three, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's general secretary, Atul Limaye, also played a crucial role in ensuring Mahayuti's victory.

Who is Atul Limaye?

The 54-year-old Limaye left a high-profile job at a multinational company at a very young age and joined the RSS as a pracharak, reported News18. Later, he worked as chief of the RSS's western region and then as the joint general secretary. During Maharashtra Elections in 2014, he was responsible for the party's campaign in the western Maharashtra region.

Atul Limaye's role in Mahayuti magic in Maharashtra

According to a Hindustan Times report, Atul Limaye, the former chief of the RSS's western region was responsible for collaborating with prominent BJP leaders, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavi. He even tried to gain Marathas's support for the BJP.

He was the primary coordinator behind the Mahayuti-RSS campaign in the state, which also involved other senior leaders from Delhi like BL Santosh, the national organising secretary, and Arun Kumar, the coordinator between the RSS and the BJP.

According to News18, Atul Limaye had closely studied the Maratha reservation-related agitation and its complexities. He had worked at the grassroots level to regain the confidence of the community leaders, reclaim the party's OBC vote bank and consolidate voters on the line of the Hindutva ideology of RSS.

He also ensured that the BJP didn't sideline the Marathas during their campaign, as he and his team also reached out to various Maratha leaders. During his interaction with Maratha leaders, Limaye assured them that the party genuinely supports reservation for Marathas without categorising them as OBCs, reported HT.

To control the damage caused by Manoj Jarange-Patil-led agitation for party, Limaye and his team promised the Maratha leaders that they would pursue the matter in the Supreme Court and with the Modi government at Centre.