Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole declared on Thursday that should his party secure victory in both state and national elections, they would extend reservations to the Maratha community by exceeding the current 50 percent quota limit. Patole spoke during a press conference as part of the Congress's 'Jan Samvad Yatra.'
When questioned about the ongoing protest for Maratha reservation 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.
"Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised during the 2014 elections that the BJP would provide reservation to Marathas if it is voted into 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," added.
Patole expressed his views, stating, "This government is now bringing up the OBC versus Maratha issue. They are attempting to replicate what they did in Manipur here in Maharashtra." He emphasized that the people of Maharashtra are sensible and will not be ensnared by the ruling party's tactics, ensuring that a situation similar to Manipur does not arise in the state.
He asserted that the BJP opposes a caste-based census and that they would never be able to grant reservations based on caste.
Patole clarified, "However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has adopted a firm stance... If our party's government assumes power both in the state and at the Centre, our approach will be to extend reservation to the Maratha community by raising the 50 per cent cap, without impacting the reservation status of other communities. Our government will also bring people from all backward castes into the mainstream,” he added.