Sharad Pawar meets Eknath Shinde and discusses rising tensions between Maratha and OBC

In the wake of the escalation tensions between Marathas and OBC community leaders in Maharashtra over the reservation issue, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Sharad Pawar met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai on Monday. Both leaders discussed the Maratha-OBC spat in detail, among other issues, sources said.

The meeting came just a day after Union Minister Amit Shah criticised opposition leader Pawar, accusing him of being the kingpin of corruption in the country.

The meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House, which lasted for nearly an hour, included a private discussion between Shinde and Pawar lasting about twenty minutes, besides a broader conference held in the hall.

Sources said both leaders agreed that an all-party meeting should be held, with representatives from both the Maratha and OBC communities, to arrive at a compromise and prevent further division in the state.

Sharad Pawar has noted that opposition leaders had earlier boycotted an all-party meeting due to lack of official information about government decisions and commitments to the protesting communities. This lack of clarity hampered their ability to have meaningful discussions on the reservation issue.

In response, Chief Minister Shinde has promised to provide all relevant documents, government resolutions and notifications regarding the decisions taken by the government. This move is expected to facilitate clearer dialogue in the future.

Recently, Chagan Bhujbal, a senior leader of the Ajit Pawar camp, met Sharad Pawar to address the growing communal discord and urged him to play a leading role in organising the all-party meet. Pawar has promised to work closely with opposition parties to address the reservation issue ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole has criticized the ruling alliance, accusing them of not fulfilling promises made to the Maratha community. Patole stressed that while the Congress-led government had granted reservations in 2014, the subsequent Devendra Fadnavis government had failed to ensure these measures, and Fadnavis should now fulfill his promises instead of blaming the opposition.