To expand its appeal among Maharashtra’s Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the Mahayuti government has recommended that the Centre raise the income cap for the “non-creamy layer” from ₹8 lakh to ₹15 lakh annually. A “non-creamy layer” certificate is required to access reservation benefits for OBCs, certifying that a family’s annual income is below the prescribed limit.

The state government made this recommendation during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday. The proposal must be approved by the Centre before implementation.

Separately, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) recommended on Wednesday that seven Maharashtra communities be added to the Central list of OBCs. This decision follows the Mahayuti government’s request to expand the list by including castes and sub-castes such as Lodh, Lodha, Lodhi; Badgujar; Suryavanshi Gujar; Leve Gujar, Reve Gujar, Reva Gujar; Dangari; Bhoyar, Pawar; and Kapewar, Munnar Kapewar, Munnar Kapu, Telanga, Telangi, Pentarreddy, and Bukekari.

The Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, appears to be taking steps to strengthen its OBC voter base ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in November, following the BJP’s success in Haryana, where its OBC outreach played a key role.

Maharashtra’s OBC population, which consists of 351 communities and makes up 52% of the state’s population, is a crucial voting bloc. Of these, 291 communities are on the Central OBC list. The inclusion of the seven newly proposed castes and sub-castes has been a long-standing demand, dating back to 1996, but previous state governments have not successfully addressed the issue.

The NCBC’s decision comes just weeks before the state elections, signaling a potential boost to the Mahayuti’s appeal among OBC groups in Vidarbha, North Maharashtra, Marathwada, and parts of Western Maharashtra. These regions hold significant political weight, with communities like Bhoyar and Pawar having a presence in Vidarbha, where 62 Assembly seats are at stake, and other OBC groups spread across key districts in North Maharashtra and Marathwada.

The BJP’s renewed focus on OBCs is seen as a tactical move in response to shifting support from Muslim, Maratha, and Dalit voters. Traditionally seen as a Brahmin-Bania party, the BJP has historically relied on its OBC voter base in Maharashtra, using the Madhav (Mali, Dhangar, Vanjari) formula to broaden its appeal. However, the ongoing Maratha agitation for reservations, led by activist Manoj Jarange Patil, has created discontent within the Maratha community, weakening BJP’s support.

In response, the BJP hopes to use a “Maratha vs. OBC” polarization strategy to its advantage, similar to its success in Haryana, where “anti-Jat consolidation” strengthened its standing among OBC and Dalit voters.

However, not all OBC leaders are convinced. OBC Jan Manch president Prakash Shendge criticized the Mahayuti Cabinet’s decision as “misleading,” calling it a political gimmick aimed at attracting OBC votes. He argued that the government could have acted sooner, but instead flip-flopped on the Maratha reservation issue, causing discontent among OBC communities.

Opposition leaders in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, also view the move as an election ploy. State Congress president Nana Patole labeled the OBC-related decisions as mere proposals, unlikely to be implemented before the elections.