Stirs in Maharashtra threaten BJP's calculations ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Mumbai: A spate of agitations for job and education reservations have hit Maharashtra, threatening the BJP's calculations ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Marathas have extended their agitation for reservations across the state. They have demanded they be included as Kunbis, a community classified as an OBC. Worried that such an inclusion would crowd the quota, OBC communities too have begun protests. Those leading the stir have clarified they were not opposed to granting reservation to the Marathas but did not want them to be included in the OBC list.

On Monday, Kunbi and other OBC leaders carried out a march in Nagpur against including Marathas in the OBC list. The state government is trying to get the OBC community to call off the stir and the chief minister is likely to meet OBC leaders this week. However, Rashtriya OBC Maha Sangh chairman B Taywade has said the community would not call of the agitation easily.


To add to the woes, the Dhangar community has also begun an agitation demanding that it be given a Scheduled Tribe status.