Ajit Pawar’s resuscitation of the Muslim quota issue puts ally BJP on the spot Premium

Ajit Pawar’s resuscitation of the 5% quota for Muslims in educational institutions in Maharashtra has put the BJP in a spot

Soon after rebel Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar split his uncle Sharad Pawar’s party to align with the ruling Eknath Shinde-led government, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had said that while the BJP’s alliance with CM Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena was “emotional,” that with Ajit Pawar’s NCP was borne of political necessity.

Yet, barely two months later, the BJP’s ‘realpolitik’ appears to be floundering, with Mr. Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s second Deputy CM, seeming intent on marching to the beat of his own drum.

Mr. Ajit Pawar’s resuscitation of the 5% quota for Muslims in educational institutions in Maharashtra has put the BJP in a spot, with the BJP leadership including Mr. Fadnavis maintaining a deafening silence on the issue.

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Last week, Mr. Ajit Pawar, in his capacity as Maharashtra Finance Minister, held meetings with State Minorities Affair Minister Abdul Sattar (of the Eknath Shinde-led Sena group), his NCP colleague and Minister Hasan Mushrif, along with top Waqf Board authorities on the reservation issue as well as other issues concerning the Muslim community.

When asked whether his raising the 5% quota for Muslims in education would affect his relations with his ally, the BJP, Mr. Ajit Pawar, speaking in Pune, had pointedly said: “This [Muslim] community too is a part of Maharashtra and India. I think of every community when I am working. Right from the start of my career, I have worked by keeping the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji in front of me and have trodden the progressive ideological path of the reformers Rajarshi Shahu-Jyotirao Phule- Babasaheb Ambedkar.”

Mr. Ajit Pawar tellingly remarked that when he had joined the Shinde-BJP government, both Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis had assured him that if there was any difference of opinion among the three parties on any issue, they would sit down and find a solution.