In 2014, the BJP managed to win 15 of the 29 reserved seats in the 288 member Maharashtra assembly, becoming the party with the highest proportional share of Dalit MLAs in the state. On Wednesday, after protests by Dalits rocked the state following violent clashes in villages around Bhima Koregaon near Pune, many of these BJP legislators preferred to play it safe. While some called for an end to the policy of caste-based reservations, while others questioned why the community was paying homage to those who had fought for the British.
In contrast, MLAs of the Shiv Sena, the BJP’s alliance partner, were far more vocal in claiming that there was a feeling within the community that there was an anti-Dalit bias on part of the state government. The Sena has nine Dalit MLAs elected from reserved seats.

In 2014, the BJP managed to win 15 of the 29 reserved seats in the 288 member Maharashtra assembly, becoming the party with the highest proportional share of Dalit MLAs in the state. On Wednesday, after protests by Dalits rocked the state following violent clashes in villages around Bhima Koregaon near Pune, many of these BJP legislators preferred to play it safe. While some called for an end to the policy of caste-based reservations, while others questioned why the community was paying homage to those who had fought for the British.
In contrast, MLAs of the Shiv Sena, the BJP’s alliance partner, were far more vocal in claiming that there was a feeling within the community that there was an anti-Dalit bias on part of the state government. The Sena has nine Dalit MLAs elected from reserved seats.