People wait in queues at polling station to cast their votes for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Friday, April 26, 2024. File Photo
PTI
Mumbai: The burning caste issue — particularly the rift between the Marathas and Other Backward Classes — is set to dominate the 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls.
The impact of the vexed caste issue was seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, however, since then, it has compounded even further.
This was evident from the statements of Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange Patil, the founder of Shivba Sanghatana and OBC resistance leader Prof Laxman Hake, the founder of OBC Sangharsh Sena, both of whom made their views clear as soon as the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for Maharashtra.
A challenge for both the ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.), there has been intense brainstorming on the poll strategy in each camp.
Jarange-Patil, who has undertaken seven hunger strikes in 14 months demanding reservation for Marathas, kept the cards close to his chest.
“I will personally not contest the elections,” he said, however, added that the “Maratha samaj” would meet soon and take a call. “We are very clear…we have given time (to the government) to decide on our demands till the announcement of polls and enforcement of code of conduct…now that time has lapsed,” he said, indicating that they would play a major role in the politics.
"We are appealing that all should come together and get ready to take them on,” he said and hit out at BJP’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accusing him of stalling the reservation to the Maratha.
Hake said that all OBCs are together and would show their strength in the polls. Asked whether they would contest elections or support parties, he said: “Let them announce the candidates…we will clear our position accordingly.” When pointed out that Maharashtra is witnessing caste politics, he said: “So far political parties have contested, now we are seeing a change.” Hake too had undertaken two hunger strikes.
The three main demands of Jarange-Patil is to give reservation to the the Marathas as Kunbis under the OBC category, implementation of draft notification of ‘sage-soyare’, a Marathi term for ‘relatives from the family tree', which widens the scope of the quota and withdrawal of cases against the agitators. However, the OBCs are resisting it on the ground that it would dilute their quota.