Sharad Pawar and Congress leaders' stand on Maratha reservation unclear, says Bawankule

Nagpur: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said Sharad Pawar and Congress leaders' stand on whether Marathas should get a reservation from the OBC quota is unclear.

Speaking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Bawankule said NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal's move to meet Sharad Pawar to discuss the Maratha reservation issue was appropriate and was aimed at maintaining social harmony.

All political parties and the state legislature were with the Marathas community on its demand for reservation in government jobs and education, he said.

Maharashtra Minister Bhujbal on Monday met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence to seek his intervention into the Maratha quota issue and objections over it by OBC leaders.

The visit came a day after his veiled attack on Sharad Pawar for the opposition's boycott of an all-party meeting on the Maratha quota issue.

Bawankule said the stand of Sharad Pawar and Congress leaders on whether the Marathas should get a reservation from the OBC quota was unclear.

"Bhujbal's move to discuss the issue with Sharad Pawar was appropriate. It was an initiative taken to maintain social harmony in Maharashtra. I feel he will accept Bhujbal's request," the BJP leader said.

Asked about the NCP surveying all 288 assembly seats for the state polls, Bawankule said the party has a right to conduct its survey, and there is no disagreement.

"The Mahayuti has a formula, and we have to make efforts to win and retain seats. Similarly, winning a seat is more important than who gets which seat. We will perform well and win," he said.

The Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, clinched all nine seats it contested in the recent biennial elections to 11 legislative council seats.

He further said the issue of whether Nawab Malik will contest the upcoming assembly polls is for NCP chief Ajit Pawar to decide, but the decision has to be made after deliberations.

Bawankule said the BJP will take out a Jansanvad Yatra before the polls to reach out to people about the Mahayuti government's welfare schemes.