Maharashtra: Opposition Boycotts All-Party Meeting Over Maratha Reservation Issue; Both Houses Adjourned

Both Houses of Maharashtra legislature witnessed uproar on Wednesday over the opposition’s decision to boycott the all-party meeting convened by the chief minister on the Maratha reservation issue, leading to adjournment of the assembly and the council for the day.

The meeting convened on Tuesday evening was boycotted by Maha Vikas Aghadi members accusing the government of not taking them into confidence.

The opposition wants to keep the reservation issue burning instead of resolving it, minister Shambhuraj Desai claimed.

“All opposition MLAs were given written invitations; many of them were informed through phone calls. Video conferencing was arranged for those who were outside Mumbai. Still opposition parties refused to attend the meeting,” Desai said.

In the Lower House, presiding officer Sanjay Shirsat hurriedly conducted the day’s business, including passing supplementary and budgetary demands, an appropriation bill, and a tax-related amendment bill, before adjourning the assembly for the day.

The issue was initially raised by the BJP’s Ameet Satam, who accused the opposition of politicising the reservation matter.

Satam challenged the opposition to clarify whether Marathas should be given reservations from the OBC quota.

Ashish Shelar (BJP) claimed that the opposition had withdrawn from the all-party meeting at the last moment. He demanded that the opposition apologise to the Maratha community and OBCs.

Treasury benches then stormed the well, condemning the opposition.

Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress alleged the government was fostering social divisions and only seeking the opposition’s support when tensions escalated. “Social tensions are the sin of the MahaYuti government,” he said.

Amid the chaos, Speaker Rahul Narwekar adjourned the House multiple times.

After the House reassembled, BJP’s Nitesh Rane demanded that the opposition clarify their position on the Maratha quota, while Shelar insinuated that the opposition’s last-minute boycott was influenced by someone.

“Whose message or phone call was behind this [the boycott]?” Shelar asked.

In the legislative council, proceedings were similarly disrupted after BJP’s Pravin Darekar accused the opposition MVA of double standards for skipping the meeting.

Despite Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe’s appeals, the commotion forced an adjournment for the rest of the day.

“The opposition parties’ double standards have been exposed in the House. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had invited political leaders to discuss the demand to include Marathas under the OBC category. However, the opposition parties refused to attend the meeting,” Darekar said.

His remarks prompted members of the opposition to raise anti-government slogans, plunging the Upper House into chaos.

Despite several appeals from Gorhe, both sides refused to budge, prompting her to adjourn the proceedings for the rest of the day.