NCP founder Sharad Pawar. (File)
Mumbai: Following the Maharashtra Congress leaders, NCP founder Sharad Pawar also on Monday indicated that the Maha Vikas Aghadi will decide its chief minister after the Assembly polls. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has said that whichever party wins more seats in the Assembly, will get the CM’s post. Supporting Mr. Chavan’s argument, Mr. Pawar said the Congress leader is an important part of the MVA and his opinion cannot be ignored.
The stand taken by the Congress and NCP (SP) has not gone well with the third alliance partner — Shiv Sena (UBT) — which wants pre-poll assurance that Uddhav Thackeray will be made the CM if the alliance comes to power in the state. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has been trying to convince the Congress and NCP (SP) that the MVA should declare a chief ministerial candidate for the Assembly polls. Uddhav Thackeray reportedly wants his name declared as the next CM before the election.
Mr. Chavan, who is the former chief minister of Maharashtra, has said that in Maharashtra, chief ministerial candidates were not announced before the election and the same practice would continue. He also said that the party winning the highest number of seats in the alliance should get the CM’s post.
Sharad Pawar’s party has so far not specified its stand on announcing the chief ministerial candidate before the election. However, when asked about Mr. Chavan’s comment, the NCP (SP) chief said, “Prithviraj Chavan is a responsible partner of the MVA. He is our alliance partner. We cannot ignore his opinion.”
Mr. Pawar, who was heckled by the Maratha quota activists on Sunday in Solapur, met Members of a Maratha organisation in Pune to discuss the reservation issue. After the meeting, he urged Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde to convene an all-party meeting over the Maratha reservation demand.
The reservation issue has posed a major challenge before all political parties ahead of the state Assembly polls. Manoj Jarange, who is heading the Maratha protests, has insisted that his community must get the reservation under the OBC quota. However, OBC outfits have vehemently opposed the demand. No political party has been able to take a clear stand on the issue as both communities are politically significant.
Mr. Pawar said that the CM should also invite Mr. Jarange and other OBC leaders, including minister Chhagan Bhujbal, for the all-party meeting and a unanimous decision should be taken in it. He assured his party’s full support on the issue.
All opposition parties had skipped a similar meeting convened by the CM last month. However, Mr. Pawar said the Opposition will participate in the next meeting. “We as the Opposition will remain present at the meeting. I have already told him that we will take a stand to support the Government. I hope the CM will hold such a meeting and invite representatives of key national parties,” he said.
The veteran leader also put the onus on the Centre to increase the 50 per cent limit on the reservations so that all communities can get its benefits. “When the Tamil Nadu government had given 73 per cent reservation, it was upheld by the court. However, in all subsequent decisions, the courts have upheld the reservation ceiling of 50 per cent. This policy should change. Only the Centre has the authority and power to increase the limit on reservations. All the political parties in Maharashtra will end their differences and support the Modi Government if it decides to change the policy,” he said.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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