"I had taken an oath, which I fulfilled today," said chief minister Eknath Shinde, standing next to Manoj Jarange-Patil in Vashi on Saturday, as a throng of Marathas cheered. The agitation for the inclusion of Marathas in the Other backward classes (OBC) category as Kunbis, a sub-caste of the community that receives reservation under the OBC quota, came to a close when the activist announced that the government had accepted his demands and that he was ending the march to Mumbai.

Shinde, a maratha who has been facing uncertainty about his future, has managed to achieve a victory over his political adversaries by "giving reservation to Marathas".

In june 2022, after orchestrating a rift in the shiv sena and deposing the maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) administration, he was appointed chief minister. He just survived a judicial struggle before the supreme Court. However, for the last two years, his ability to lead the ruling alliance against the MVA coalition, led by sharad pawar and uddhav thackeray, has been called into doubt, as has his ability to administer the government. Following the breakdown in the NCP, Ajit Pawar's accession fueled speculation that Shinde's departure was inevitable, since the bjp had managed to recruit a popular maratha politician into its coalition.

Similarly, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' unhappiness with Shinde was no secret. The initial few days of the maratha agitation, during which the Shinde-led administration appeared ignorant about how to handle the crisis, fueled conjecture. However, Shinde saw the problem as an opportunity.

Since last September, when a lathicharge on maratha community members assembled to support Jarange-Patil's fast in Jalna landed the administration in hot water, Shinde has thrown himself into the fray. He went to terminate Jarange-Patil's first hunger strike in Jalna and sent officials and retired judges to persuade him to cease his second hunger strike. He went against the wishes of numerous government ministers and advocated for a special campaign to issue Kunbi certificates to Marathas, as asked by the activist. Interestingly, although continuing to strongly condemn leaders of the ruling alliance and opposition, the activist maintained that he admired Shinde.

With his new action, Shinde has established himself as the alliance's most Maratha-friendly figure. Marathas, who account for one-third of the population, have long dominated state politics.

The development might help Shinde solidify his position inside the ruling alliance while also defending himself against political challenges from the opposition. Some of his colleagues and experts, however, believe it may be a double-edged sword.
For more interesting updates wa click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel

Find out more:

Eknath Shinde

G GOWTHAM

28/01/2024 10:28 AM