Assembly poll preparations: BJP to hold day-long conclave in Pune today

A political resolution will be discussed and adopted at the conclave. The conclave will have two sessions. At the end of the first session, Union minister Nitin Gadkari will address the delegates. Post lunch, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will explain the policies and programmes undertaken by the state government to reach out to the middle-class, women, youths and farmers.

By holding the conclave in Pune, the BJP wants to convey a bold message that it is pulling out all stops in Western Maharashtra, the sugar belt which has remained a Congress-NCP bastion. Western Maharashtra with 12 Lok Sabha seats and 72 Assembly seats is critical for the BJP. Last year, it split the NCP and embraced the Ajit Pawar-led faction hoping to make deeper inroads. Unfortunately, it did not succeed in the Lok Sabha polls. But the BJP is keen on ironing out the differences with the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) to project a united front in the polls. A similar exercise is underway to ensure greater coordination with the Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde across Maharashtra.

Maratha quota

Meanwhile, turning the tables on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Bawankule on Saturday dared the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) to publicly clarify their stand on Maratha reservation. “Are MVA leaders supporting Jarange Patil who wants Maratha reservation under Other Backward Class (OBC) category? Will the Opposition support the dilution of the OBC quota? These are some key issues that the Opposition needs to answer first, instead of attacking the state government,” he said, speaking to the media on Saturday.

“Instead of attacking the Mahayuti, the Opposition MVA should make its views clear. I dare them to mention their support for Jarange Patil’s demand of Maratha reservation under the OBC category in their manifestos,” Bawankule added.

Bawankule’s remarks came on a day when Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil began an indefinite fast at Antarwali Sarathi village.