Maharashtra Cabinets

The politics of Maharashtra has long been characterised by the domination of the Maratha community. A few studies have tried to quantify this domination by mapping the social and caste profi le of the members of the state legislative assembly. This article analyses the composition of selected state cabinets from 1960 to argue that while Maratha dominance has remained intact, it has acquired a sharp regional profi le, with power being increasingly concentrated in the hands of Maratha political leaders from western Maharashtra.