Uddhav Thackeray-PM Modi's meet today at 11 am, Maratha quota on agenda

Uddhav Thackeray, his deputy Ajit Pawar and other ministers will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi; also discuss cyclone relief measures and other issues

Concerned over several state-Centre conflicts, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will head to Delhi on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be accompanied by a delegation of senior ministers, including his deputy, Ajit Pawar.

The officials at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) confirmed Thackeray's appointment with Modi at 11 am on Tuesday. At the meeting on Tuesday, the CM will raise concerns that arose after a court verdict on the reservation for other backward classes (OBC) in state's local bodies. The MVA leaders have demanded a national census of OBCs and have blamed it on the BJP.

Thackeray had previously written to the PM, seeking assistance for Cyclone Tauktae relief measures and pandemic mitigation, and demanded a resolution to the Maratha quota imbroglio. He had asked Modi to include the Maratha community in the SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward class), after the state government lost a case in the Supreme Court. The SC verdict that the Maratha quota was unconstitutional has created unrest in the community, which has announced an agitation later this month. The MVA wants something substantial, apart from a share in EWS (economically weaker section) for the Marathas.

Also Read: Maha govt doing everything possible to grant quota to Marathas: Ajit Pawar

In a blame-game, the BJP that gave Marathas the quota in 2018 and the MVA have been blaming each other for the legal loss. The BJP says the state can make the law once again, while the MVA wants the Centre to make it possible using its constitutional power, because “the apex court had said that the state can’t decide reservations”.

On cyclone-related matters, the CM had asked the Centre to revise its old norms for providing relief to the states.

After the HSC exam was scrapped, Thackeray wanted the Centre to have a uniform national policy about the valuation, based on which students can seek admission in various institutions nationwide.

A source said Thackeray was also supposed to discuss vaccine procurement, but the matter was cleared with the PM's announcement on Monday.

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