Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is set to join the student-led agitation in Pune on Monday as protests demanding greater transparency in Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations and the resignation of commission chairman Vivek Bhimnawar enter their fifth day.
Thackeray is scheduled to reach the protest site at 4pm, adding another prominent political voice to an agitation that has drawn leaders from both the opposition and ruling sides.
The protests have been centred on concerns over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, including the possibility of question-paper leaks, and demands for greater transparency in the MPSC's functioning.
Omraje Nimbalkar heckled at protest site
The political tensions surrounding the agitation came into focus on Sunday night when Shiv Sena MP Omraje Nimbalkar visited the protest site.
Nimbalkar, who had joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena from the Shiv Sena (UBT) in June, was confronted by a section of protesters who questioned his decision to switch sides. Some shouted slogans calling him a “traitor” and repeatedly interrupted his speech.
Nimbalkar defended his decision, saying he had not abandoned his constituents.
“I have not gone anywhere. I am right here. I am an elected representative,” he said.
He said he remained connected with people in his constituency and had stood with them during floods, droughts and other crises. According to Nimbalkar, being out of power had made it difficult for him and other elected representatives to carry out work for their constituents.
Despite the heckling, he backed the students' demands and said the examination system was directly linked to their future.
He warned that irregularities such as question-paper leaks could result in examinations being cancelled, causing severe hardship to aspirants who had spent months preparing.
“I have come here to support you. Have I made a mistake?” Nimbalkar asked as protesters continued shouting slogans.
Agitator Vivekanand Patil subsequently appealed to the students to allow the MP to finish his address. The protesters eventually applauded Nimbalkar when his speech concluded.
MPSC secretary transferred amid agitation
Nimbalkar said the MPSC secretary had been transferred and promised to take up the students' concerns with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He said he would meet Fadnavis with a delegation of students to press for their demands.
The state government has already transferred MPSC Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar amid the agitation. The protesters had sought action against both Harpalkar and chairman Bhimnawar. However, Fadnavis has said the chairman holds a constitutional post and cannot simply be removed by the state government or governor.
The government has also indicated plans for a large-scale recruitment drive over the next three years, while discussions have taken place on conducting MPSC examinations offline and involving student groups in the process.
Three protest groups emerge in Pune
The agitation has also developed into three separate protests, with differences emerging over both demands and the examination pattern.
One group is demanding a return to the objective, multiple-choice question format, while another wants the descriptive examination pattern introduced in 2025 to continue. A third group, backed by NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar, has made the resignation of MPSC chairman Bhimnawar its principal demand.
The protests are being held at three locations, including the area around SM Joshi Bridge, KBS Road and another site where a separate group is demonstrating.
Opposition leaders have visited the protest led by Rohit Pawar near SM Joshi Bridge, while BJP leaders have visited the group protesting on KBS Road. A third group has continued its separate agitation.
The divisions became more pronounced after aspirants met Fadnavis on September 30. The agitation was temporarily suspended following the meeting before resuming after the students remained dissatisfied with the response to their demands.
Political support widens
The MPSC agitation has increasingly attracted political attention. Opposition leaders, including Sharad Pawar, have backed the students' concerns, with Pawar urging Fadnavis to open a dialogue with the aspirants to resolve the impasse.
The involvement of ruling BJP leaders at one of the protest sites has also added a political dimension to the agitation. MNS chief Raj Thackeray's scheduled participation on Monday is expected to further raise the profile of the protests.
The agitation comes amid a wider series of student protests over examination and recruitment irregularities. The supplied account also notes that student protests over examination irregularities in July had forced then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.
Separately, job aspirants and student unions who had been protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations for nearly a month in Jharkhand suspended their sit-in after the state government accepted almost all of their key demands.
With the Pune protests continuing at multiple locations and political leaders increasingly joining the campaign, pressure is mounting on the Maharashtra government and MPSC to address the students' concerns over examination transparency and recruitment procedures.