Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday hit out at the Opposition, saying some of its members tried to gain political advantage out of the recent Maratha reservation protest, but fell silent after the government resolved the issue.
Speaking at an event in Pune, he said the Mahayuti government was focused on working for the welfare of people.
Activist Manoj Jarange, who launched his hunger strike to press for the Maratha quota demand in Mumbai on August 29, called it off on Tuesday after the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government accepted most of his demands. The government even issued an order announcing the formation of a committee to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members with historical evidence of their Kunbi heritage.
Pawar said, "People voted us to power with a big majority, and it is our constant endeavour to work for them by giving them all the benefits. Sometimes issues do crop up, but we always strive to resolve them amicably." "The opposition, which received fewer votes, is always on the lookout for opportunities to target the government. Some of them even tried to derive political advantage out of the situation that unfolded in Mumbai over the last three to four days by going to the press and airing their views," he said, referring to the Maratha quota agitation.
But since the state government responded efficiently to the agitation, the opposition fell silent, the deputy CM, who heads the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said.
"Some are still expressing their views, but I would like to say that everything will be alright and there is no need to worry," he said.
Speaking about the upcoming local bodies elections in the state, Pawar said, "With civic polls around the corner, elections to Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis are also likely to take place. As per our estimate, some of these local body elections might be held in January. This is just an estimate as the authority to announce elections lies with the Election Commission," he added.
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