Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray will join protesting MPSC aspirants in Pune on Tuesday (October 6, 2026), stepping up the Opposition’s support for students demanding the removal of commission chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and changes in the recruitment body’s functioning.

Mr. Thackeray announced his visit in a post on X on Monday (October 5), saying he had spoken to Vivekanand Patil and would sit with the protesting students in Pune on Tuesday (October 5).

“I have just spoken to Vivekanand Patil. Tomorrow, I will go and sit with the students participating in the MPSC agitation in Pune,” Mr. Thackeray said.

Addressing the MPSC chairperson, Mr. Thackeray questioned why he continued in office despite Opposition from aspirants. “Thousands and lakhs of students are rejecting you and asking you to step aside,” he said, asking whether students would have to gather outside the MPSC office before the chairman resigned.

The agitation in Pune has continued for several days, with aspirants raising a range of demands concerning the functioning of the commission, including greater transparency in examinations and the removal of its chairman. Protesters have been gathering at multiple locations in the city, including near the S.M. Joshi Bridge.

The agitation comes days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met a delegation of MPSC aspirants on September 30 and announced a series of measures. These included the immediate transfer of the MPSC secretary, continuation of offline examinations and a judicial inquiry concerning former and incumbent MPSC officials, with further action to be considered under Article 317 of the Constitution based on its findings. The assurances had initially led to the suspension of a proposed October 2 protest, but sections of aspirants subsequently resumed their agitation.

The protest has since drawn support from several Opposition leaders. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke met the protesters on Sunday, while NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has been participating in the agitation. Mr. Pawar on Monday gave the State government a 48-hour ultimatum to address the students’ demands, warning that the agitation could intensify.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray was also scheduled to visit the protesting aspirants in Pune on Monday (October 5).

Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants have postponed their sit-in protest planned in Pune on Sunday (September 27, 2026) to October 2 after police denied permission for the September 27 agitation, with organisers now set to hold a “satyagraha” outside Patrakar Bhavan, Pune.

The October 2 protest has received police permission, according to the organisers. A meeting between representatives of the aspirants and the Chief Minister is also expected to be held before the agitation, though a date for the meeting has not yet been finalised.

The aspirants had earlier planned to begin a sit-in at 10 a.m. on Sunday near the S M Joshi Bridge-Abasaheb Garware College stretch over a range of demands concerning the functioning of the MPSC. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had also backed the agitation and accompanied student representatives during discussions with the Pune police over permission for the protest.

However, Pune police had refused permission for the September 27 protest, citing concerns over traffic and public order. Police had also issued notices to student representatives and administrators of Telegram groups used by MPSC aspirants, warning them against organising or encouraging an unauthorised agitation.

The organisers subsequently announced on September 26 that the agitation would be deferred to October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, and would be held as a peaceful “satyagraha” outside Patrakar Bhavan near S M Joshi Bridge. Organisers said the revised date and venue had been approved by the police.

The postponement also opens a window for talks between the aspirants and the state government. According to the organisers, a meeting with the Chief Minister is expected to take place before October 2, although its date has yet to be fixed.

The aspirants have been raising several issues concerning MPSC examinations and recruitment, including demands for greater transparency in the examination process, timely recruitment and results, and changes in the functioning of the commission. They have also sought the resignation of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.

The latest agitation follows an earlier protest by aspirants in Pune on September 7. Meanwhile, a state-appointed examination reforms committee headed by additional chief secretary V Radha has been consulting aspirants on changes to Maharashtra’s recruitment examination system. The panel has received more than 20,000 emails containing suggestions on issues including examination schedules, transparency in evaluation, paper leaks and communication with candidates.