Congress and OBC Bahujan Front form alliance for Feb 5 ZP, panchayat samiti polls

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal on Monday announced his partys alliance with the Prakash Shendge-led OBC Bahujan Front for the February 5 Zilla Parishad and panchayat samiti polls.Addressing a press conference, Sapkal said the tie-up was not for power but to ensure representation and justice for backward communities, adding it was an ideological partnership aimed at social justice.The Congress stood firmly behind the demand for a caste census and proportional representation based on population, Sapkal added.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has betrayed the Dhangar, OBC, Maratha and tribal communities by failing to fulfil promises made on reservation.

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal on Monday announced his party's alliance with the Prakash Shendge-led OBC Bahujan Front for the February 5 Zilla Parishad and panchayat samiti polls.

Addressing a press conference, Sapkal said the tie-up was not for power but to ensure representation and justice for backward communities, adding it was an ideological partnership aimed at social justice.

The Congress stood firmly behind the demand for a caste census and proportional representation based on population, Sapkal added.

''Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has betrayed the Dhangar, OBC, Maratha and tribal communities by failing to fulfil promises made on reservation. The BJP has used reservation as a tool to divide communities and has lost their trust,'' Sapkal alleged.

Fadnavis had promised in 2014 to sign the Dhangar reservation file as his first decision (after forming government) but failed to fulfil it even after a decade, he claimed.

Despite Rahul Gandhi's persistent demand for a caste census, and the Narendra Modi government being forced to take a decision, the census was yet to be conducted, Sapkal said.

''The Congress believes in proportional representation based on population. Rahul Gandhi's stand has received support from all sections of society. Proper representation of Dhangars and OBC communities will be ensured,'' he added.

Shendge said quota for Other Backward Classes was being systematically weakened.

Even the 27 per cent quota for OBCs is under threat, he added.

''GRs are being issued, but no community is benefiting from them. We formed a separate party to fight for OBC rights and decided to ally with like-minded parties.'' Shendge said.

He thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for taking a strong stand on caste census and expressed confidence that OBC issues would be resolved under his leadership.

Polls to 12 ZPs, namely Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Latur as well as 125 panchayat samities in these areas will be held on February 5.

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