Mumbai: With the Maharashtra assembly polls round the corner, the Maharashtra cabinet on Monday accepted the second and third reports of the Justice Shinde committee regarding the protocol for issuing Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi certificates based on historical records. These certificates will enable the Maratha community members to get reservation as OBC. Meanwhile, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has continued to put pressure on the government. He has planned a major show of unity of the Maratha community at a Dussehra rally in Beed.
The Maratha quota issue proved to be one of the major factors in the Lok Sabha election. The community members are believed to have voted strategically against the candidates of BJP and its alliance partners. The BJP won only nine out of 29 Lok Sabha seats it contested while Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar won eight out of remaining 19 seats they contested. Wary of the Maratha factor, which is the single largest community in the state, the BJP led ‘Mahayuti’ alliance does not want the repeat of Lok Sabha polls in the state Assembly polls expected to take place in November this year.
The committee led by Justice Sandeep Shinde (retd) had submitted its second report last December, which was not officially accepted by the state government. However, the acceptance of the committee’s two reports on Monday is been seen as a move to assure the Maratha community, which is protesting under Mr. Jarange’s leadership seeking inclusion in the OBC category.
The Shinde government has passed a law providing 10 per cent separate reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and education. The act has been challenged in the Bombay High Court. However, Mr. Jarange has insisted for the reservation under the OBC category by certifying Marathas as Kunbi, which is caste listed as the OBC.
Mr. Jarange has urged the government to give Kunbi cast certificates to the Marathas before the Assembly election and threatened to ensure defeat of the rulling parties’ candidates if his demand is not met.
The quota activist has urged all community members to assemble in a show of unity at the Dussehra rally to be held in Beed district on October 12.
Mr. Jarange is currently undergoing treatment after ending his fast over the demand for OBC quota for the Maratha community on September 25. He said there will be no political discussion at the Dussehra rally. “We are holding a Dussehra rally where I will go as a devotee and remain present for the programme. I will seek blessings of my community’s people who come to the rally. It is time to show our unity. People from all over the state should come,” the activist said.
