Sangli, October 4: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar urged the BJP-led Centre on Friday to bring a constitutional amendment to increase reservation in education and government jobs beyond the existing cap of 50 per cent. However, Shiv Sena questioned why Pawar was raising the issue just before the Maharashtra elections and demanded to know what he had done to get the matter resolved during his stints as the chief minister. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said that while granting reservation to Marathas, who have been agitating for quota, care should be taken to ensure that such limits meant for other communities are not disturbed.

“Currently, the cap on reservation is 50 per cent. But if Tamil Nadu can have 78 per cent (quota for various communities), why can't Maharashtra have 75 per cent reservation,” he asked. The Centre should take the lead and bring a constitutional amendment to raise the quota cap. “We will support the amendment,” he said. Pawar said the seat-sharing talks among the leaders of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will continue next week. “I would only advise the leaders to conclude the talks as early as possible so that we can go to the people, who are looking for a change,” he said. MVA partners NCP (SP), Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress fought the recent Lok Sabha polls as one unit and performed impressively, winning 30 of the 48 seats in the state. The Maharashtra assembly polls are due in November. Harshvardhan Patil Ditches BJP Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, Will Join NCP (SP).

Pawar said people are positive towards bringing a change in the government and the MVA should respect their sentiments. The NCP (SP) chief also welcomed the decision to accord the “classical language” tag to Marathi and congratulated the central government for it. However, Pawar said the Maharashtra government must be concerned about the dwindling number of students opting to learn Marathi and the closure of Marathi language schools in the state. “Discussions on these aspects are needed and a way to resolve the issue needs to be found,” he said. He also alleged that while the state government has been showering populist schemes, it was diverting funds meant for other programmes.

“The arrears of government aid to the Sangli cancer hospital is over Rs 4 crore. Across the state, the arrears of aid to cancer hospitals are Rs 700 crore. I was told that since funds needed to be diverted to the populist schemes, the administration was helpless. If this is the situation in the medical field, what can be said about other areas. There are many government-aided hospitals that are not just dedicated to cancer,” Pawar said. He said there is anger in the state over incidents like the Badlapur case, wherein a contractual sweeper, who later died in an alleged shootout with police, allegedly sexually assaulted two kindergarten girls on their school premises. People feel that though financial aid is given to women, their safety and security are being ignored, he said. Asked about Union minister Nitin Gadkari's comment that the ‘Ladki Bahin' scheme to provide financial assistance to women could affect the timely payment of subsidies in other sectors, Pawar said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had termed such schemes ‘revdi culture' which need to stop.

“Gadkari has a constructive and non-political approach to development,” he said, adding that roads have improved during the tenure of the BJP leader, who is also the Union minister of road transport and highways. To a question about Gadkari's claim that he had been offered the PM's chair by the opposition multiple times, Pawar said, “We did not make any such offer. If we don't have the required number of MPs, how can we make such an offer." Asked about the “secrets” behind his energy, Pawar, who will turn 84 in December, said it increases with his age. About Modi's likely visits to Maharashtra ahead of assembly polls, he said the PM addressed 18 rallies before the Lok Sabha elections and lost in 14 constituencies. “For assembly elections too, he should address many rallies,” he quipped. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: NCP Leader Sharad Pawar Calls for Immediate Decision on Seat-Sharing Discussion Within Maha Vikas Aghadi for Vidhan Sabha Polls.

Shiv Sena spokesperson and MLA Sanjay Shirsat asked why Pawar could not get the reservation issue resolved when he was in the government. “Sharad Pawar was CM of Maharashtra four times and Congress had a full majority that time. Why did Sharad Pawar not remember this then? The issues were kept hanging and now, they are talking about it when elections are nearing,” he said in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Had Pawar taken steps earlier, the quota issue would have been solved long ago. “The government is now doing whatever it can to arrive at a solution,” he said.