Tussle between Aghadi allies over reservation to Muslims

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, February 28

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena, which are coalition partners in the Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, are locked in a tussle over introducing a 5 per cent reservation in educational institutions for the Muslim community.

Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik, who belongs to the NCP, told the Assembly that the coalition government was keen on introducing the 5 per cent quota in educational institutions for the Muslim community ahead of the next academic year beginning June.

“The Maharashtra Government wil taken appropriate action before the beginning of school admissions,” Nawab Malik said in response to a question by Congress legislator Sharad Ranpise.

Later, Shiv Sena’s Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters outside the state legislature that no decision had been taken on bringing such a legislation. “Leaders of the MVA will meet and decide on introducing reservations for any particular community. So far no decision has been taken,” Shinde told reporters.

The Congress and the NCP were pushing for legislation to introduce reservations for Muslims during the Budget session, according to sources.