MUMBAI: CM Uddhav Thackeray will meet PM Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss several issues, including the Maratha and OBC quota, cyclone Tauktae relief aid and the state’s pending GST dues.
This is the first time since the MVA government came into power in Maharashtra in November 2019 that the former allies, Thackeray and Modi, will meet in person.
On Monday, NCP president Sharad Pawar and deputy CM Ajit Pawar had a brief meeting with Thackeray.
Ajit Pawar, cabinet minister and chairman of the Maratha reservation committee Ashok Chavan and chief secretary Sitaram Kunte will be part of the CM’s delegation.
“Apparently, Thackeray was briefed on our stand on the Maratha reservation to be presented before the PM,” a senior NCP leader told TOI on the meeting between the CM and the Pawars.
Last month, Thackeray had written to Modi requesting him to take steps to declare the Maratha community in Maharashtra as Socially and Educationally Backward (SEBC) through the National Commission of Backward Classes to enable them to claim reservation in education and government jobs.
The issue has become a challenge for the state government after the Supreme Court in May struck down quota for the Maratha community in public sector and educational institutions as it exceeded the 50% cap imposed earlier.
“The Maratha community has been getting restless post the scrapping of the reservation.
Agitations have been announced in the state from this month.
With this meeting, the state wants to put the ball in the Centre’s court,” said a senior official.
Also, a demand to restore the 27% political reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) will be taken up in Tuesday’s CM-PM meeting.
The SC had recently rejected the state government’s review petition concerning reservation to OBCs.
It had ruled that the reservation in favour of the OBC in local bodies should not result in exceeding the 50% cap in reservation quota.
State cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said that the Centre must restore 27% political reservation for OBCs in the local self-governments.
At Tuesday’s meeting with Modi, Thackeray will iterate the request seeking over Rs 24,000 crore pending dues under the GST and compensation towards the losses due to cyclone Tauktae.
Maharashtra government has already announced compensation of Rs 252 crore as relief to the cyclone-affected in the state.