Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has pledged to address concerns raised by his party colleague and cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal regarding the state government's recent decision on Maratha quotas. The move comes amidst simmering tensions within the ruling coalition over the sensitive issue.
Bhujbal, a prominent leader from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, expressed strong opposition to the state's decision to extend benefits accorded to OBCs to Marathas. He even announced protests against the move, sparking anxieties about potential unrest.
Queried on the issue, Pawar said, In a democracy, everyone has different opinion. CM Shinde took a decision on Maratha reservation and tried to reach a solution. (Deputy CM Fadnavis) Devendraji has said he will talk to Bhujbal. He (Fadnavis) has said he does not feel injustice has been done to anybody. I too feel the same. Give me some time, I will speak to him (Bhujbal), the senior NCP leader added.
Pawar's assurance comes as a critical step in attempting to bridge the internal divide within the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which comprises the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress, and Shiv Sena (Thackeray Group). Bhujbal belongs to the NCP faction led by Pawar, and his sustained criticism of the Shinde-led dispensation on the Maratha quota issue has threatened to destabilize the alliance.
Meanwhile, Pawar also took aim at the opposition, accusing them of lacking "constructive work." He asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was united in its resolve to secure his third term in office. "The opposition has no work apart from criticising and opposing the PM, he remarked.