Eknath Shinde Government Faces Opposition Heat Over Maratha Quota Stir

The Maratha reservation issue has once again flared up in Maharashtra, the trigger being the violence last Saturday in Jalna as protesters clashed with police leaving several injured. Now, the group spearheading the agitation, the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM), has intensified its agitation by staging demonstrations across Marathwada, North Maharashtra, Western Maharashtra, Konkan and Vidarbha even as demand for the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gained momentum. The ruling coalition of the Eknath Shinde Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar NCP is on the defensive over the issue as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - comprising the Sharad Pawar NCP, Uddhav Thackeray Sena and the Congress has turned up the heat.