Maratha VS OBC: Will the Reservation Fight Impact Voting Pattern In Marathwada?

In other parts of the Marathwada, Latur & Osmanabad will go for the polling on May 7, whereas Beed, Jalna, Auarangabad will vote on May 13.

Marathwada has total 8 districts, out of which Hingoli, Parbhani, Nanded constituencies are already polling today since 7 AM in the morning. From Hingoli, Baburao Kohalikar of the Shiv Sena will face Nagesh Patil Ashtikar of the Shiv Sena (UBT).

In Nanded, BJP has nominated  MP Pratap Chikhalikar and Congress has filled Vasant Chavan. In Parbhani, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha’s Mahadev Jankar, backed by the Mahayuti alliance including BJP, Shiv Shinde Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, will fight against Sena (UBT) nominee Sanjay Jadhav.

In other parts of the Marathwada, Latur & Osmanabad will go for the polling on May 7, whereas Beed, Jalna, Auarangabad will vote on May 13.

Nanded: Maratha Leader Ashok Chavan Joins BJP

At the last moment before the Lok Sabha elections were announced, former CM of Maharashtra and prominent face of Congress in state, switched aside towards BJP. Though the party satisfied him with the Rajya Sabha candidature, they have utilized his cadre in Nanded, where the leader has strong hold since his father, the former CM and Shankarrao Chavan who built the constituency for the Congress.

Though Ashok Chavan himself belongs to a Maratha caste, still he had to face a strong opposition by Maratha reservation leaders even in last week during his campaign, for not taking a strong stand for the community. Though Chavan is in a strong position in the district, still the candidate given by the Congress, Vasant Chavan, is also a Maratha Face, can give tough competition to the BJP.

Pankaja Munde Vs Bajrang Sonwane In Beed

 The major factor which is impacting Marathwada in this election is the protest for Maratha reservation by Manoj Jarange Patil. Especially in Beed where BJP’s stalwart leader Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja Munde is fighting against NCP(SP)’s Bajrang Sonwane, it is assumed as a neck to neck fight between OBC VS Maratha.

A businessman and OBC activist, Subash Raut, whose hotel in Beed was set on fire by a mob during the Maratha protests last year.

After the Maratha reservation movement, the strong division was seen amongst the Maratha and OBCs, wherein another OBC leader Chaggan Bhujbal openly held rallies in support to maintain OBC reservation and showed his complete opposition of giving any reservation to Maratha from OBC quota.

Maratha Reservation Movement Impact On Marathwada Region

In the 2019 polls, the BJP fought the election in alliance with undivided Shiv Sena and won Marathwada with a huge margin. The BJP won four seats in Beed, Jalna, Latur and Nanded – the Sena grabbed Hingoli, Parbhani and Osmanabad. But this time Maratha reservation had picked up in the region and led to a division on the basis of caste in the region.

The face of the Maratha reservation movement, Manoj Jarange-Patil, is also from Jalna in Marathwada,  when the Eknath Shinde led government passed Maratha quota law during starting of this year, he refused it and demanded the reservation from OBC quota. He has again warned the state government to start the movement after 4th June’s Lok Sabha election results. At the same time he appealed to his community to not vote for the leaders or parties who were against the Maratha reservation.

However, the community should support those who are in favor of reservation. Although we have not given a candidate, we have not given support. But we also have victory in demolition. Be the destroyer this time. There is no such thing as standing still or giving a candidate, there is a great victory in overthrowing. Be the destroyer this time.