Shinde-Fadnavis government and opposition hailed the Supreme Court ruling allowing OBC quota in urban and rural local bodies in Maharashtra. However, both swung into action to take credit for the same.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who had met the state government’s legal team on Tuesday ahead of today’s hearing, said ‘’It’s a big relief for the OBC people in the state after the Supreme Court today gave nod to hold elections to local governing bodies with OBC quota. We had promised to give justice to the OBC people as the matter was on hold for several years. We stood on our words."
"The Supreme Court has accepted our demand for an OBC reservation which was on stay for several years. It is a big relief for the OBC people. We had promised to give justice to the OBC people. We stood on our words,’’ he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis observed, ‘’This is the victory of the entire OBC community. The welfare of OBCs, bahujans and the poor is our agenda and will remain so. I thank all who were part of the process.” He accused the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of wasting time "pointing fingers at the Union government" over the issue.
"When I said that the backward class commission's report can be finalised (and submitted to the court), I was ridiculed. But our government has given answers to the critics through our action," Fadnavis said.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar welcomed the apex court’s order saying that ‘’In order to restore the OBC reservation, Chhagan Bhujbal and the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government made sincere efforts and its result was seen in this decision today. By implementing the Mandal Commission report, we tried to provide political representation to the OBC community in the state and bring them into the mainstream. On this occasion, we reiterate that we are always with the OBC community and will remain committed to their upliftment.’’
Shiv Sena President and former CM Uddhav Thackeray said it is not a time to take credit but said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was working since its formation for the welfare and development of OBCs. “Even though I am not CM, I am happy that the steps unanimously taken during the MVA rule has led to the restoration of OBC quota,’’ he noted.
Bhujbal, who as the Samata Parishad and MVA minister pursued the restoration of OBC quota, said, ‘’This is a victory for the entire OBC community. Now the fight is for constitutional reservation and caste-based census.’’
State Congress chief Nana Patole said the Maha Vikas Aghadi government laid the foundation for the restoration of reservation of OBCs and it has succeeded.
