Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led Maharashtra government on Monday approved 10 percent reservation in education and employment opportunities for economically weaker sections in the general category, reported ANI.

Maharashtra has now become the seventh state in India to give reservation to weaker sections of general category. Apart from Maharashtra, other states including Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Assam have approved the bill to implement the reservation. On January 7, the Union Cabinet had approved a 10 percent reservation for economically backward upper castes in government jobs.