In the wake of escalating tensions between Marathas and OBC community leaders in Maharashtra over the reservation issue, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai. Both leaders discussed the Maratha-OBC discord in detail, among other issues, sources said.
This meeting occurred just a day after Union Minister Amit Shah criticised the opposition leader Pawar, accusing him of being the kingpin of corruption in the country.
The meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House, which lasted nearly an hour, included a closed-door discussion between Shinde and Pawar for about twenty minutes, in addition to a broader conference held in the hall.
Sources indicate that both leaders agreed on the necessity of convening an all-party meeting with representatives from both Maratha and OBC communities to seek a compromise and prevent further communal discord in the state.
Sharad Pawar has noted that opposition leaders previously boycotted an all-party meeting due to a lack of official information on government decisions and assurances made to the protesting communities. This lack of clarity hindered their ability to engage in meaningful discussions on the reservation issue.
In response, Chief Minister Shinde has committed to providing all relevant documents, government resolutions, and notifications pertaining to the decisions taken by the government. This move is expected to facilitate a clearer dialogue moving forward.
Recently, Chagan Bhujbal, a senior leader from the Ajit Pawar camp, met with Sharad Pawar to address the growing discord between communities and urged for a leading role in organising the all-party meeting. Pawar has pledged to work closely with opposition parties to tackle the reservation issue ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole has criticised the ruling alliance, accusing them of failing to honour promises made to the Maratha community. Patole highlighted that while the Congress-led government had granted reservations in 2014, the subsequent Devendra Fadnavis administration did not safeguard these measures, and now Fadnavis must fulfil his promises rather than blaming the opposition.
