Maratha quota issue has been significant since SC overturned Maharashtra's 2018 Act granting quotas in education and employment to the community
Manoj Jarange Patil in Mumbai/ Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Maharashtra, key issues like Maratha quota demand, infrastructural development and agricultural challenges are expected to take centre stage. A report in PTI stated that Maharashtra, after Uttar Pradesh, has the second-highest number of Lower House members. Polls in Maharashtra will be conducted in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20 with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
The Maratha quota issue has been significant since the Supreme Court had overturned Maharashtra's 2018 Act granting quotas in education and employment to the community, reported PTI. The agency report further added that opposition parties are pressing the Union government to change the Constitution to eliminate the reservation threshold of 50 per cent.
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Activist Manoj Jarange proposed adding the entire Maratha community to the OBC category as Kunbis, but senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal opposed this idea, underlining that Marathas should not be granted OBC quota rights. The report further added that despite the state government's supportive approach towards the quota demand that appointed Sandeep Shinde committee to review pre-1967 Kunbi records, Bhujbal continually voiced his opposition.
Meanwhile, Jarange advocated for the acknowledgement of Marathas with Kunbi ancestry and greater inclusion of their relatives as Kunbis, but the government only recognised 'sage soyre' on the paternal side as Kunbis.
Following the 'sage soyare' notification, the state enacted a new law granting a 10 per cent quota to Marathas but concerns arose over its judicial sustainability as it exceeds the 50 per cent reservation cap. Additionally, demands emerged for a separate quota under the Economically Weaker Section category for farming communities, the PTI report added.
According to the news agency report, OBC constitute 34 per cent of Maharashtra's population and Marathas represent 28 per cent. The report quoting political observers said that traditionally OBCs backed BJP & undivided Shiv Sena while Marathas backed Congress and undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP); however, Marathas have been inclined towards BJP since 2014.
Furthermore, the report stated that the ruling coalition in Maharashtra plans to showcase its achievements in major infrastructure projects that were completed or nearing completion during its tenure. These projects include the 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, the 21.8-km Mumbai Trans Harbour link (MTHL), the Mumbai Coastal Road, and various Metro rail projects. Additionally, the coalition, the report said, is planning to take credit for resolving hurdles in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project and introducing Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai to Shirdi, Solapur, and Jalna.
Furthermore, the coalition seeks to demonstrate its commitment to farmers through programmes such as the Namo Shetkari Maha Samman scheme, which provides further financial help. Another achievement to be emphasised is the 'one rupee' crop insurance policy launched last year, which aims to give farmers with affordable insurance coverage, the PTI report added.
However, as per the PTI report, the opposition has criticised the administration for allegedly failing to prevent farmer suicides and ensure appropriate Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for crops. Furthermore, the Union government's policies on agricultural export bans or limitations, such as those on onions, to combat domestic price increases may become contentious during the campaign.
In terms of political dynamics, the BJP is expected to target Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly betraying the mandate of the 2019 state elections by cutting ties with the saffron party. Observers anticipate an increase in verbal conflicts as the Lok Sabha elections precede the assembly elections later this year, the PTI report added.
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