CM, PAWAR DISCUSS CRITICAL ISSUES AHEAD OF PARL SESSION

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar met Maharashtra chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s official residence Varsha on Thursday. According to Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) insiders, both the leaders are said to have discussed critical issues such as forming a strategy for the upcoming Parliament session to resolve the reservation crisis of the Maratha and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities. The monsoon session of the Parliament is set to start from July 19.

“We want the issues to be raised properly in the Parliament and compel the Centre to take appropriate steps to resolve them. Both the leaders may have discussed the issue in today’s meeting,” said a senior minister, who did not wish to be named.

In separate verdicts, the Supreme Court had struck down reservations in jobs and education for the Marathas and the political quota to OBCS in local bodies, which has created a political crisis for MVA.

On July 5, the state had passed two resolutions seeking Centre’s intervention in the reservation crisis. MVA has asked for the empirical data of OBCS for restoration of political reservation and also demanded an amendment to remove 50% quota cap put by Indra Sawhney ruling. Pawar and CM’S meeting assumes significance, following a series of damaging statements made by Nana Patole – the state chief of their ally Congress – in the past two weeks. Recently, Patole had declared that the Congress will contest upcoming polls in state alone. He also alleged that he was put under surveillance by CM and deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and that his movements were being monitored.