The Maratha Reservation Bill, aiming to provide a 10 percent reservation to Marathas beyond the 50 percent cap, was unanimously approved by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (lower house) during its session on Tuesday. The Chief Minister will subsequently present the bill in the Legislative Council for approval, following which it will be enacted into law. […]
The Maratha Reservation Bill, aiming to provide a 10 percent reservation to Marathas beyond the 50 percent cap, was unanimously approved by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (lower house) during its session on Tuesday. The Chief Minister will subsequently present the bill in the Legislative Council for approval, following which it will be enacted into law.
Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, stated that opposition parties shared the belief that the Maratha community should receive reservation benefits.
The state government has called for a one-day special session of the state legislature to present and deliberate on this special Bill. The bill regarding the 10 percent Maratha quota, which the Mahayuti government led by Eknath Shinde approved on Tuesday, bears resemblance to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act of 2018, introduced during the tenure of the former Devendra Fadnavis government.
This is the third time in a decade that the state has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “I am the CM of the state and I work with the blessings of all. We don’t think on the basis of caste or religion. If such a situation comes with any other community, my stand as CM will be similar to what is my stand for the Maratha community. Our PM always says Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.”
He added, “We all are of similar views here on the Maratha reservation so I will not make may political statement here. With the co-operation of you all, we could do it. I kept my promise which I made to the Maratha community. I thank all my colleagues including my both DCMs and other ministers. Today is a day of fulfilment of our promises.”
