Special session of Maharashtra Assembly to commence today, Maratha quota likely on agenda

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stressed on Friday that reservation to Marathas will be given according to the terms of the law after presenting the report in during the special assembly session called for February 20.

"The survey has been conducted on nearly 2-2.5 crore people... Keeping in mind that the OBC community is not left behind in the process, the government will present the report to the cabinet committee. On February 20, we have called a special session of the assembly, after which the Maratha reservation will be given according to the terms of the law...," CM Shinde said.

The decision to hold the session was taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

"The cabinet meeting has given its nod to convene a one-day special session of the legislature on Tuesday, February 20, to discuss the various demands of the Maratha community," a note issued by the Chief Minister's office stated.

The decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.

After the Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting, Congress president Nana Patole said that the Maharashtra Assembly session would commence on Monday, adding that the meeting was being held to form a strategy for the session.

"The Maharashtra Assembly session commences tomorrow. The system is that they should call the opposition for BAC and discuss the proceedings of the House. However, the BJP government in the state does not want to follow the constitutional process. So, we came together to form a strategy for the session," Patole told ANI.

Meanwhile, the political scenario of Maharashtra is fluid as Sharad Pawar lost his party name and symbol.

Veteran politician Sharad Pawar said on Saturday the Election Commission's decision to recognise the group led by his nephew Ajit Pawar as the 'real' Nationalist Congress Party was "not in accordance with law."

Sharad Pawar moved the Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the ECI to officially recognise the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and the use of party symbols.

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the interim order by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that allowed veteran leader Sharad Pawar to use 'Nationalist Congress Party--Sharad Chandra Pawar' would continue till further orders.

On February 6, the poll panel, while applying the test of majority in the legislative wing, ruled that Ajit Pawar's faction was the 'real' NCP and permitted the faction to use the 'clock' symbol for the party.

In its order, the Election Commission noted that the total number of NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra State Assembly stood at 81, and out of this, Ajit Pawar submitted affidavits of 57 MLAs in his support, while Sharad Pawar had only 28 affidavits.

Hence, the poll panel concluded that the Ajit Pawar faction enjoyed the majority support of the legislators and could lay claim to being the NCP. (ANI)