Quota complications stir up state’s socio-politics

Agitators shout slogans against the Supreme Court’s order in Goregaon, Mumbai

We said here three weeks ago that reservation-related issues promised to dominate the state's socio-politics in the near future. The churning has started big time, making the state's politics intensify over matters that influence electoral output. Before it could offer agitated Marathas a plausible solution for denial of quota by the apex court, apart from blaming the previous BJP government in the state and current regime in the Centre, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is faced with turmoil within because of the warring partners and an uprising-like situation outside during the life-threatening pandemic. The state's non-Maratha constituents - the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, vimukta jati and nomadic tribes and special backward class and other backward class - are also up in arms, because of some state-level decisions and legal complications that threaten to impact their quota in politics and promotion in government jobs. All of them, including Marathas, together make up for the 90-95 per cent of the state's population. Imagine how high the political stakes could be in such an expansive and restive canvas.

As far as a quota for Marathas is concerned, all major parties have been in support of it. Who wouldn't when the community accounts for 33% of the population, the largest in the state? But friction between the Maratha and non-Maratha ranks of political parties has always been visible over the quota. Of late, the tussle has assumed a serious proportion because, after the court's verdict that reservations can't exceed 50 per cent, the OBCs have been increasingly feeling that Marathas could share their quota. Likewise, the unity of Maratha leaders cutting across the parties in the mission reservation, the bond between the OBC leaders has been working against the Maratha intrusion, if any. The friction is intense in a three-party coalition of MVA which has a large number of Maratha and non-Maratha leaders. Prompted by massive protests and an urge to give the community what the previous governments couldn't deliver legally, the BJP made a law to give Marathas a quota, which the high court approved of, but the apex court scrapped. It won't be wrong to say that the conditions are more difficult than the previous times.

Also Read: Efforts on to provide quota to Marathas: Uddhav Thackeray tells BJP MP

The MVA's cup of woes overflowed recently when Congress leaders accused deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party) of scrapping the 33 per cent reservation in promotions in the government jobs. The accusation carried an impression that the decision was taken to placate Marathas. Congress minister Nitin Raut, chief party's national cell of SCs, made it a full-on battle against Pawar and the NCP which is known as the party of Marathas. Some Congress leaders even went to the extent of saying that the party would pull out and support the Thackeray government from outside. Will the pull-out really happen? Not many in the MVA feel that the Congress can act extremely when it needs to be in power at any cost. However, the threat can work to get the decision reversed. The MVA's coordination committee is expected to decide against Ajit Pawar's firmness.

In another decision, the Supreme Court has ruled against the OBC's political reservation in some tribal-dominated local self-government bodies. The community leaders are up in arms and have echoed the accusation levelled by the opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis that the negligent state government wasn't serious towards the OBCs and it did not set up a backward class commission for producing empirical data that would justify the quota. State Congress president Nana Patole has blamed the non-availability of OBC data on the BJP-led Centre. The SC order is exclusive to certain districts but the OBCs who get 27 per cent quota in panchayats aren't very happy with the development.

All the matters may look independent of each other but they are so interlinked socially and politically. The 50 per cent cap on the quota is the main hurdle that the government wants to overcome. How can it be done? That's a serious question, especially when instead of answers only accusations and counter-accusations are forthcoming. It is the virus and restrictions that have prevented aggrieved people from storming the streets. What will happen when restrictions unlock? The state government must have a plan to tackle the threat of protest, scheduled or impromptu.

A Maratha protest has been announced by a BJP-nominated Rajya Sabha member and a descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Raje Bhosale, who has submitted some demands before the MVA government. He met CM Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Fadnavis and other top leaders cutting across party lines to seek their support. He hasn't succeeded in getting the audience with PM Narendra Modi as yet. The BJP had wooed the Prince of Kolhapur, the only leader acceptable to the agitating Marathas, who had barred politicians from leading the protests between 2015 and 2018. But now, the two seem to have developed a rift, because some of Sambhaji Raje's suggestions and statements have been rejected by the BJP. The party wants the popular face of the Maratha agitation to follow the BJP line. Some say that the relationship, if strained further, may even lead to Sambhaji Raje's resignation from the upper house. Another descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Udayan Raje Bhosale, also sits in the BJP benches of the Rajya Sabha. Udayan Raje has met several top leaders to discuss the issue, but hasn't got into his aggressive self and instead seems to be working in tune with his new party.
In the ruling parties in the state, Shiv Sena has rarely made reservations an electoral issue, but now being at the helm of affairs, CM Uddhav Thackeray will have to be in the act. With a seasoned associate like Sharad Pawar at his side, the CM might have found a way to tide over the crisis.

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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