Overview
- Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal announced the alliance with Prakash Shendge’s OBC Bahujan Front at a Mumbai press conference after talks at Tilak Bhavan, calling it an ideological partnership rather than a power pact.
- The partners will contest elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 panchayat samitis on February 5, with counting on February 7, covering districts including Raigad, Pune, Kolhapur and nine others.
- Congress reiterated support for a nationwide caste-based census and proportional representation based on population, citing Rahul Gandhi’s long-standing stance.
- Shendge alleged the OBC reservation framework is being weakened, saying even the 27% quota is under threat and that government resolutions have not yielded tangible benefits for communities.
- Sapkal accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP of reneging on reservation promises, highlighting the unfulfilled 2014 pledge to approve Dhangar reservations.