Pune, August 14, 2024 — Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar today urged both the Maharashtra and Union governments to address the ongoing Maratha quota issue, expressing his full support for any initiative that could resolve the matter, including raising the current 50% reservation ceiling.
Pawar called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the Maratha quota issue and emphasized that the central government should consider removing the 50% cap on reservations.
“The judiciary has set a 50% limit on reservations nationwide, but if there’s a problem, all parties in the state should come together and push for the Centre to remove it. The Centre has the authority to amend the ceiling limits, and if all parties back this, we will fully support it,” Pawar stated.
The NCP(SP) leader’s remarks align with the sentiments expressed last week by Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, a key ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Thackeray’s stance on the issue faced criticism from the ruling Mahayuti coalition partners.
Sharad Pawar highlighted Tamil Nadu’s earlier move to implement a 76% reservation quota, which was followed by the imposition of the 50% ceiling. He stressed that only the central government now holds the power to modify this limit.
Pawar urged all political parties in Maharashtra to work together to resolve the tensions between the Maratha and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities over the quota issue. He also suggested that Chief Minister Shinde invite Manoj Jarange-Patil, leader of the protesting Shivba Sanghatana, to the proposed all-party meeting.
Additionally, Pawar recommended that OBC leaders be included in the discussions, and confirmed that the MVA would participate as the opposition in the meeting.
In response, Chief Minister Shinde stated that he is in talks with Sharad Pawar about potential solutions to the long-standing quota issue, which has created significant political unrest in Maharashtra.
“All parties must ensure that the social fabric of the state remains intact, and that there is no animosity between the Maratha and OBC communities over this issue. If we don’t address it now, the consequences could be unpredictable,” warned Pawar.
When asked whether Manoj Jarange-Patil should run in the upcoming Assembly elections on the Maratha quota platform, Pawar diplomatically avoided a direct answer, saying, “In a democracy, everyone has the right to contest elections and seek votes.”
Jarange-Patil has repeatedly threatened that if the government fails to grant the promised quotas and meet other demands, the Maratha community will work to defeat candidates from both the Mahayuti and MVA coalitions. He also indicated that the Marathas might field candidates in all 288 Assembly seats in an effort to gain political power.
