Reservation To Maratha Community If Voted To Power: Maharashtra Congress

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Thursday said that if his party is voted to power in the state and at the Centre in the next elections, it would provide reservation to the Maratha community by increasing the 50 per cent cap on quota.

He also said that caste-based census was the only option to provide a permanent solution to the issue of reservation.

Mr Patole was addressing a press conference here on the sidelines of the Congress' 'Jan Samvad Yatra'.

To a query on the ongoing Maratha reservation issue, Patole said, "Caste-based census is the only option for a permanent solution to provide reservation and give justice for all sections of the society. The previous government led by prime minister Manmohan Singh government had worked on this aspect and a census was carried out in 2011." However, after the Modi government came to power in 2014, it did not take the caste-based census further, which means that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not accept that census, he alleged.

He blamed the ruling BJP over the Maratha reservation issue.

"Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised during the 2014 elections that the BJP would provide reservation to Marathas if it is voted in power in the state and the Centre. They had also promised quota to the Dhangar (shepherd) community as well although it was not their (BJP's) right to do so," he said.

"This government is now raking up the OBC versus Maratha issue. They are trying to do in Maharashtra what they did in Manipur," he alleged, while adding that the people of Maharashtra are rational and they won't fall into the ruling party's trap and won't allow Manipur-like situation to prevail in the state.

The BJP is against the caste-based census and they will never be able to give reservation, he claimed.

"However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a clear stand...If our party's government comes to power in the state and at the Centre, our stand will be to give reservation to the Maratha community by increasing the 50 percent ceiling, without having to touch the reservation of other communities," Patole added.

The party-led government will also bring people from all backward castes into the mainstream, he said.

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