Mumbai: The upcoming 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections are poised to be a high-stakes battle, with the Maratha community’s demand for reservation casting a long shadow over the campaign. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, both major political alliances – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti and the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena (UBT) led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – are strategically avoiding the issue, leaving the Maratha reservation elephant in the room.
This silence comes despite the fact that the Maratha reservation movement has profoundly shaped the state’s politics since 2023, shaking up established power dynamics and influencing key elections including the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
What ignited the Maratha reservation movement?
This silence comes as a stark contrast to the movement’s influence on the state’s politics since 2023. The Maratha reservation movement, ignited by the tragic suicide of Deepa Bhosale, a 21-year-old who took her life due to a lack of opportunities without reservation, has become a defining force in Maharashtra politics.
The movement, spearheaded by activist Manoj Jarange, shook up the state’s established power dynamics, with Jarange’s hunger strikes and protests in Jalna and across Marathwada and Western Maharashtra gaining nationwide attention.
What Shinde did do to “appease” the Maratha community?
The Shinde government’s attempt to “appease” the community with a bill granting 10 per cent reservation for Marathas under the Kunbi caste category backfired, sparking a backlash from the OBC (Other Backward Classes) community. Critics argued that the Marathas, already a powerful and numerically significant group, should not be granted additional reservation, fearing a dilution of their own entitlements.
How did the Maratha reservation row impact Lok Sabha polls?
The Maratha reservation controversy significantly impacted the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in the Maratha heartlands of Marathwada and Western Maharashtra. The BJP, previously strong in these regions, suffered devastating losses, failing to win a single seat in Marathwada. The Congress and NCP-led MVA capitalised on this discontent, winning key constituencies.
Which areas did Mahayuti and MVA focus on during campaigning?
Despite the political shift, the silence on the Maratha reservation is deafening in the upcoming Assembly elections. Neither the Mahayuti nor the MVA has actively raised the issue, focusing instead on women-centric welfare schemes. In Jalna, a hotspot for the Maratha reservation movement, political leaders from both alliances steered clear of commenting on the Maratha demand. Even Jarange, the firebrand leader, has chosen to maintain a low profile, withdrawing his initial plans to field candidates in the elections.
Neither the Mahayuti nor the MVA has actively raised the issue. During election rallies, politicians focused more on women-centric welfare schemes, such as the BJP’s Ladli Behna Yojana and MVA’s Mahalaxmi Yojana, avoiding the Maratha reservation question altogether. In Jalna, a hotspot for the Maratha reservation movement, political leaders from both alliances steered clear of commenting on the Maratha demand, opting instead to highlight economic and welfare initiatives targeting women.
Who all remained silent on Maratha Quota?
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, during his rallies in Jalna, focused his attacks on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Uddhav Thackeray but carefully avoided mentioning the Maratha or OBC reservation debates.
Similarly, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, while campaigning in Jalna, chose not to address the reservation issue, instead criticizing the Mahayuti government’s welfare schemes.
In nearby rallies, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took jabs at the BJP and Prime Minister Modi, yet both leaders sidestepped any mention of Maratha reservations. Even Rahul Gandhi, while advocating for a caste census and the abolition of reservation limits, has refrained from commenting on the specific Maratha demand.
Why Mahayuti and MVA are silent on the Maratha Quota?
This silence reflects a careful balancing act in a highly volatile political environment. The political parties are navigating the growing divide between the Maratha and OBC communities. The fear of alienating OBC votes, constituting 52 per cent of Maharashtra’s electorate, while also catering to the 28 per cent Maratha population, is a complex balancing act. Tensions between the two communities have escalated in rural areas, with boycotts of each other’s businesses. The situation has even prompted OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal to seek the intervention of NCP chief Sharad Pawar to mediate the growing rift.
The widespread silence from all political camps on this heated issue has left many wondering about the growing political tightrope being walked as Maratha reservations continue to dominate the state’s social and electoral discourse.
