India, Feb. 23 -- Dressed in dark blue kurta-pyjama, a yellow jacket and a turban, Ramdas Athawale ended his speech by shouting 'Jai Bheem, Jai Bharat'. Though he looks a joker and a hysteric but he has very much weight in Maharashtra politics. After Ram Janmabhoomi Temple issue, he has demanded a piece of land for a Buddha temple in Ayodhya. His demands can't be ignored because Dalit votes really matter for BJP; they have already lost to Pawar in the state, now it's time for Bihar elections. A leader who is known to be a party hopper now has come in the news with his demand. Let's see how the BJP takes it.

In Maharashtra, Dalits constitute 10.8 per cent votes. In Mumbai, the Dalit population is 16 per cent. This is where that the party ...