The matter of Maratha reservation has been making headlines in the state recently, revealing a blame game between the ruling party and the opposition. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has alleged that the Opposition is responsible for the Maratha reservation issue, while asserting that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the father of Maratha reservation.
In 2014, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan remarked that if the NCP had not destabilized his government, the BJP would not have assumed power, and the matter of Maratha reservation would have been resolved at that time. Responding to this, Chandrashekhar Bawankule stated, Prithviraj Chavan never contemplated providing reservation to the Maratha community. Devendra Fadnavis was the first to propose the idea.
Chandrashekhar Bawankule criticized the Opposition, asserting that Devendra Fadnavis had enacted a law to grant reservation to the Maratha community. He questioned the critics, highlighting their failure to acknowledge how the economic challenges faced by the Maratha community were addressed in the legislation. Bawankule questioned whether these leaders and the then chief minister were unaware or indifferent during the final stages of the matter.
Simultaneously, the Shinde-Fadnavis government in the state is making efforts to extend reservation to the Maratha community. Chandrashekhar Bawankule mentioned, An all-party meeting has reached a consensus to provide reservation to the Maratha community without infringing on the reservation for OBCs. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for Maratha reservation throughout the state. Manoj Jarange Patil, leading the Maratha agitation, has issued an ultimatum to the state government for action by December 24. The Maratha community is now exerting increased pressure on the government to grant a kunbi certificate to their community.