New Delhi: The dispute regarding reservation among Maratha and backward classes is increasing in Maharashtra. Before the Lok Sabha elections, the increasing dispute between Maratha and the backward class in Maharashtra increased the headache of the BJP.
After a meeting held on Sunday (January 28) at the house of NCP (Ajit faction) minister Chhagan Bhujbal regarding reservation between Maratha and backward classes in Maharashtra, OBC leaders have decided to organize a mega rally in Ahmednagar on February 3. This mobilization of OBC leaders in Maharashtra has increased the headache the the of BJP and the Central Government before the general elections.
What is the dispute in maharashtra regarding the reservation between Maratha and OBC?
Reservation is the main reason for the dispute between Maratha and OBC in Maharashtra. This dispute escalated last year in 2023, when the Maratha community under the leadership of activist Manoj Jarange demanded a quota in government jobs and education under the OBC category. After this, the controversy regarding the Maratha reservation increased in Maharashtra, and leaders belonging to the Other. The backward Class (OBC) community opposed giving reservations to Kunbi-Marathas from the OBC portion.
One of the reasons why this controversy is increasing now is that on January 27, The Maharashtra government issued a notification to give recognition of Kunbi to the blood relatives of the members of Maratha communities. After this, the controversy increased further.
The OBC community alleges that the state government is usurping OBC reservations by distributing reservation certificates to the Maratha community through the back door in the name of Kunbi. He says that he supports separate Maratha reservations.
The first voice against the Maratha reservation was raised from within the government when the leaders of the NCP (Ajit faction) opened a front against the Shinde government and said that the government’s decision was wrong. This includes OBC leaders from BJP, Congress, and other parties.
What Maharashtra government minister Chhagan Bhujbal said:
Chhagan Bhujbal said at the Ambad rally in Jalna on November 17, 2023, last year, “OBCs should not be cut while giving reservations to Marathas. We do not oppose Maratha reservation, but there should be no encroachment on the OBC quota.”
But now when the government accepted the demand of the Maratha community, the anger of the OBC community increased further and they announced holding a mega rally in Ahmednagar on 3rd February.
तमाम ओबीसी बंधू-भगिनींना माझी विनंती आहे की, आपल्या मुलाबाळांच्या भविष्यासाठी आपण सर्वांनी गट तट सोडून सर्व ३७४ जातींनी एकत्रितपणे रस्त्यावर उतरून शक्ती दाखवण्याची वेळ आलेली आहे.
— Chhagan Bhujbal (@ChhaganCBhujbal) January 28, 2024
दि. १ फेब्रुवारी २०२४ रोजी आपापल्या भागातील आमदार, खासदार किंवा तहसीलदार यांच्याकडे जाऊन ओबीसी…
According to the Indian Express, in a meeting called by Bhujbal on January 28 (Saturday), the leaders passed a resolution demanding the abolition of Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee and also declared the committee unconstitutional. He also demanded that issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas should be stopped.
After the meeting, Bhujbal appealed to the members of OBC categories to march to their nearest public representatives and government offices to emphasize their demand of not including Marathas in OBC.
I appeal to the members of the OBC category to take out rallies to the public representatives and other administrative offices, pressing our demand to oppose the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category. On this day OBCs were attacked by a mob of Marathas. Tomorrow it may affect some other community, hence we should unite and oppose it.
Announcement of yatra in entire Maharashtra from 16th February, threat of going to court.
Bhujbal further said, “I appeal to all other communities including Scheduled Castes to come together and protect themselves from this mob attack. A massive rally of OBCs in Ahmednagar on February 3 to protest against the inclusion of Marathas in OBCs. Will be organized. OBC State Maharashtra Yatra will also start from 16th February.
Bhujbal also said that if the notification is not canceled, the OBCs will approach the court and will use all legal remedies to oppose the inclusion of Marathas under the OBC quota.
Apart from Bhujbal, BJP leader and Union Minister Narayan Rane also opposed giving reservation to the Maratha community.
Rane said on Twitter, “I do not agree with the decision taken by the state government regarding the reservation of the Maratha community. It has historical traditions of the Maratha community and encroachment on other backward communities can create discontent in the state. On January 29 I will hold a press conference and talk about this.”
मराठा समाज आरक्षणासंबंधी राज्य सरकारने घेतलेल्या निर्णयाशी आणि दिलेल्या आश्वासनाशी मी सहमत नाही. यामध्ये ऐतिहासिक परंपरा असलेल्या मराठा समाजाचे खच्चीकरण आणि इतर मागास समाजावर अतिक्रमण होणार असल्याने राज्यात असंतोष निर्माण होऊ शकतो. उद्या सोमवार दि. 29 जानेवारी रोजी मी…
— Narayan Rane (@MeNarayanRane) January 28, 2024
What does the Maharashtra government say?
According to an Indian Express report on January 28, Maharashtra Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said about the protests by the OBC community, “I would like to assure Bhujbal and OBC leaders that they should not worry because the government has announced the ban on non-Kunbi Marathas. Has not been allowed to issue Kunbi certificate. It will be given only to those whose Kunbi identity is verified and established.
Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission has been entrusted with the task of providing accurate data and establishing the backwardness of Marathas and the caste survey is currently underway in the state and will continue till January 31.”
what Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM, Maharashtra said?
The government is also awaiting the outcome of a curative petition filed in the Supreme Court against its decision to repeal the 2018 law granting reservation to Marathas outside the OBC category. We had said from the beginning that Maratha reservation would have to be given within the framework of legal and constitutional norms. Marathas will have to face the legal and constitutional validity of reservation.
What are the political implications of the dispute?
Both Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections are proposed this year. There is a possibility of Lok Sabha elections being announced in February. Meanwhile, the protest by OBCs in the state has become a challenge for both BJP and Shinde governments.
According to the report published in Times of India on February 8, 2022, Maharashtra has more than 38 percent OBC population. This is mentioned in the interim report of the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission (MSBCC).
According to the data, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP got 44 percent OBC votes Shiv Sena (undivided) got 31 percent OBC votes, while Congress got 14 percent and NCP (undivided) 7 percent votes. Whereas BJP-Shiv Sena also has a good support base among Maratha voters.
In 2019, BJP got 20 percent and Shiv Sena 39 percent support from Marathas, while Congress got 9 percent and NCP got 28 percent support from Marathas.
