With an eye on the upcoming state assembly elections, the BJP in Maharashtra has decided to take a firm stance on the controversial Maratha quota issue to reaffirm its identity within the ruling alliance and take on the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The BJP’s core committee believes that the cautious approach taken so far has allowed the opposition to exploit caste-based polarisation to their advantage, the BJP report said. Indian Express.
This was evident in India’s recent Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP’s tally of seats in the state fell to nine from 23 in 2019.
To counter this, the party has prepared a fact sheet refuting the MVA’s allegations on the issue, sources said.
The BJP fact sheet highlights that in 2018, the Bombay High Court upheld reservation for Marathas, when then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was heading a joint BJP-Shiv Sena government.
This shift in strategy was also reflected in Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Maharashtra, where he praised Fadnavis’s leadership for effectively handling the Maratha issue between 2014 and 2019.
Shah said the Maratha community was given special protection under the BJP government but lost it when the Sharad Pawar-led coalition government took control of the state.
Shah’s praise for Fadnavis is noteworthy, especially since Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil had portrayed Fadnavis, who is currently the deputy chief minister, as someone who is against reservations.
Fadnavis also strongly attacked Sharad Pawar and said, “I don’t want to say anything to Jarange Patil. But I would like to ask Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Nana Patole about their stand on the Maratha quota issue. Do you support reservation for Marathas in the OBC category?”
