Jalna: Despite Jalna in Maharashtra being 'ground zero' of the Maratha quota agitation, political bigwigs have avoided the contentious issue during their poll campaigns here, shifting focus to women-centric welfare schemes.
While the ruling Mahayuti leaders have been highlighting the government's Ladki Bahin scheme, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has also promised financial assistance to women under the Mahalaxmi scheme, if voted to power after the November 20 polls to the 288-member state assembly. The Maharashtra legislature in February this year unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs.
However, activist Manoj Jarange has held multiple hunger strikes at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna to seek the Maratha quota under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
In the nearby Wadigodri village, OBC activists have also held agitations seeking assurance from the government that their quota will not be affected given the Maratha reservation demand. Marathas comprise nearly 32 per cent of the population in Jalna district, which is a part of the state’s Marathwada region with 46 assembly segments.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday addressed two election rallies in the district where he criticised the MVA and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), but refrained from commenting on the Maratha or OBC reservation issues. The CM in his speeches highlighted the Ladki Bahin scheme while accusing the MVA of opposing it.
Even former Union minister Raosaheb Danve, who faced defeat in the Lok Sabha election earlier this year from Jalna, has avoided the reservation issue during the campaign for his son Santosh Danve, who is contesting the election from Bhokardan seat in the district. Political observers have pointed to the Jarange factor after Raosaheb Danve's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.
During a rally in Jalna on Saturday, state Congress chief Nana Patole also avoided addressing the reservation issue, choosing instead to target the Mahayuti government and its welfare schemes.
Patole spoke about MVA's welfare initiatives, including the Mahalaxmi Yojana aimed at supporting women. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday during a rally here raised the demand for a caste census and an increased reservation ceiling, but avoided directly mentioning the Maratha reservation issue.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, during his campaign here on Friday, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shinde, but he, too, steered clear of the reservation issue, focusing instead on the MVA's welfare schemes. Local Maratha activist Avinash Kavhale expressed disappointment that no party has made the reservation issue a priority in the poll campaign.
Jarange recently said he will refrain from contesting the elections or supporting any candidate. Activists have urged the community to "teach a lesson" to any candidate opposed to the Maratha reservation movement.
