Mumbai:  On Monday, Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal met with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai to discuss the ongoing Maratha quota issue and the objections raised by OBC leaders. Following the meeting, Bhujbal informed reporters that the discussion lasted about one and a half hours. Sharad Pawar assured him that he would talk with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other leaders within the next two days.

Bhujbal, an OBC leader from the rival NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, visited Sharad Pawar at his 'Silver Oak' residence. This meeting came a day after Bhujbal subtly criticized Sharad Pawar for the opposition's boycott of an all-party meeting on the Maratha quota issue.

Leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, NCP (SP), and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), did not attend the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Shinde on July 9. They claimed they were not consulted about the Maratha reservation issue. Bhujbal alleged that opposition leaders avoided the meeting due to a phone call from Baramati at 5 pm. Baramati is the stronghold of Sharad Pawar, the 83-year-old veteran politician.

Activist Manoj Jarange has been advocating for the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for reservation purposes. Recently, some OBC activists held a protest seeking assurance that their quota would remain unaffected.

After the meeting, Bhujbal stated that Sharad Pawar promised to discuss the deadlock over the Maratha community's demand for OBC inclusion with Chief Minister Shinde and other key state leaders. Bhujbal expressed concern over the growing tension between the Maratha and OBC communities, noting that the divide has become so severe that members of each group avoid each other's establishments.

Bhujbal also recalled that during his tenure as Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Sharad Pawar implemented the Mandal Commission's recommendations, which provided reservations for OBCs in education and local governing body elections. Bhujbal urged Pawar to intervene once again to address the current situation. Pawar indicated that he needed a couple of days to recover as he was not feeling well.

Bhujbal mentioned that he had to wait for nearly one and a half hours to meet Sharad Pawar, who was resting due to illness. Eventually, they had their discussion in Pawar's bedroom.

Sources within the NCP suggested that Bhujbal feels marginalized within his party. Although he is part of Ajit Pawar's faction, he feels politically isolated.

Commenting on Bhujbal's meeting with Sharad Pawar, state minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said that it is common practice in Maharashtra for political leaders to engage in discussions regardless of their ideological differences. He added that it is unjust to scrutinize every interaction between two leaders and draw premature conclusions.

NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad highlighted Sharad Pawar's generosity, noting that Pawar takes time to meet individuals with differing views. Awhad expressed no concern over the internal matters of Bhujbal's party, stating that if Bhujbal wished to meet Pawar and was granted an audience, it should be allowed to happen.

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