Maharashtra: BJP To Play Maratha Quota Issue On Front Foot In Assembly Elections, Prepares Facts To Attack Thackeray

In anticipation of upcoming state assembly elections, the BJP in Maharashtra has decided to put down its feet on the contentious Maratha quota issue, aiming to reaffirm its identity within the ruling alliance and counter the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

The BJP’s core committee believes that their previous cautious approach has allowed the opposition to gain an advantage by exploiting caste-based polarisation, as per a report by The Indian Express.

This was evident in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP's tally in the state dropped from 23 seats in 2019 to nine.

To counter this, the party has prepared a factsheet to debunk the MVA’s claims on the issue, according to sources.

The BJP's factsheet highlights that the Maratha reservation was upheld by the Bombay High Court in 2018 during the tenure of then-chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, leading the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena government.

It also points out that the Supreme Court later struck down the quota in May 2021 under the MVA's rule. BJP intends to hold Uddhav Thackeray, the then CM and current Sena (UBT) chief, responsible for failing to prove the community’s backwardness.

This shift in strategy was reflected in Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Maharashtra, where he praised Fadnavis’s leadership from 2014 to 2019 for effectively handling the Maratha issue.

Shah remarked that the Maratha community received reservations under BJP rule but lost them when the Sharad Pawar-led coalition took over the state.

Shah's commendation of Fadnavis was notable, especially as Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has portrayed Fadnavis, now Deputy CM, as opposed to the reservation.

Fadnavis has also firmly attacked Sharad Pawar, stating, “I do not want to say anything to Jarange-Patil. However, I want to ask Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Nana Patole what their stand is on the Maratha quota issue. Do you support reservation for Marathas under the OBC category?”