In a heated political exchange, Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has thrown a bold challenge to activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, urging him to contest 88 out of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra and demonstrate his political influence by winning at least eight of those seats. Speaking at the OBC Mahaelgar gathering in Sangli, Chhagan Bhujbal dared Manoj Jarange to enter the electoral fray if he had the courage, underscoring his skepticism about Manoj Jarange’s claims of widespread support.
Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), emphasized his stance that any move to grant reservation benefits to the Maratha community should not come at the expense of the Other Backward Classes (OBC). He asserted that the state’s leadership, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, have assured that OBC reservations would remain intact and unaffected by any new measures. Bhujbal also criticized Sangli MP Vishal Patil, contrasting the current political climate with the legacy of the late Vasantdada Patil.
Chhagan Bhujbal strongly refuted claims that OBC reservations could be reallocated to the Maratha community, citing consultations with four legal experts at the central level. He argued that it is legally and judicially impossible to extend OBC reservations to Marathas, especially those with influential connections. Supporting Chhagan Bhujbal’s position, MLA Gopichand Padalkar emphasized the OBC community’s opposition not to Maratha reservations in general but to the inclusion of Marathas within the OBC quota. Padalkar clarified that while Marathas have been granted a 10 percent reservation, there is significant resistance to attempts to integrate them into the OBC category.
Former MLA Prakash Shendge also criticized Manoj Jarange for his shifting demands, pointing out that his calls for Marathas to receive Kunbi certificates and reservation benefits from the OBC quota were inconsistent. Shendge, along with Chhagan Bhujbal, highlighted that multiple commissions and the Supreme Court have ruled out the possibility of granting OBC reservations to Marathas.
The event saw support from various leaders including Professor Laxman Hake, former minister Anna Dange, and Navnath Waghmare, who collectively endorsed the OBC cause. Chhagan Bhujbal concluded his address with a clear demand: “Fill our backlog, then consider other reservations,” reflecting the OBC community’s call for equitable representation before any additional reservations are contemplated. In response to the ongoing debate, Manoj Jarange led a peace rally in Pune on Sunday, advocating for the inclusion of the Maratha community in the OBC category.
