Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today. Their in-depth discussion covered various topics, including water resources, milk prices, and pending issues related to sugar mills.
The issue of Maratha and OBC reservation was also reportedly discussed. This meeting is significant given the recent political developments surrounding these issues.
Why is this Meeting Important?
Previously, the state government had organized an all-party meeting on July 9 to address the Maratha reservation issue and the ongoing conflict between the Maratha and OBC communities. This meeting was held at the Sahyadri Guest House and was scheduled to start at 5 PM. However, the opposition suddenly refused to attend, and no leader from the Mahavikas Aghadi was present.
As a result, the ruling party cornered the opposition in the legislative assembly the next day. BJP's Ashish Shelar accused the opposition of boycotting the meeting to fuel the Maratha-OBC conflict and gain political advantage. He stated, “The opposition deliberately skipped the meeting to keep the Maratha-OBC issue unresolved and use it for their political gains.”
The ruling party tried to portray Sharad Pawar as the mastermind behind the boycott. In response, Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior leader, met with Pawar. Pawar raised concerns about the assurances given to Manoj Jarange and Laxman Hake, leaders of the OBC reservation movement, questioning how they could attend the meeting without clarity on these promises. Pawar expressed his intent to discuss the matter with the Chief Minister soon and seek a resolution for the Maratha and OBC reservation issues.
Following Pawar's stance, today's meeting between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Sharad Pawar took place, focusing on the Maratha and OBC reservation issues. Shinde is expected to clarify the government's assurances to the OBC and Maratha leaders. This puts the ball back in the opposition's court, compelling them to articulate their position on these critical reservation issues.