Gujarat government will look to Maharashtra for cues on settling the Patidar quota row,Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told BusinessLine . It is for the first time, since the 2015 quota stir gained momentum in the State, that Gujarat CM said he was open to a quota for the community if legal framework allowed it.
Rupani, who was in Mumbai on a road show for the annual Vibrant Gujarat Summit said, he had sought details of Maharashtra government’s working on preliminary approval for a Maratha quota. With BJP in power in both Maharashtra and Gujarat political pundits are of the view that if one State announces that it will be bringing a particular community under quota system, the move could put pressure on the other to do the same.
“Even we are eager to know what Maharashtra has done. It’s a recent development so we will study it and work accordingly. After a survey report Maharashtra government has given in-principal approval and no ordinance has been passed yet. We will study the move and survey and see if there is any legal or constitutional way. Even when the agitation was on in Gujarat, we told the agitators that it is not possible to give over 50 per cent reservation and constitution and court orders are clear. If we give it will result in cutting reservation for other castes already existing in the quota category.”
Patidar community accounts for over 12 per cent of population in Gujarat.
For nearly three years, Gujarat too has seen high pitched agitations for quota from Patidar community led by Hardik Patel. While Patidar’s were mainly associated with land holding during early 19th century, falling agricultural incomes and overall socio-economic squeeze have taken a toll. During the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, Congress promised reservation to the community if elected to power. Then, Patel openly supported the Congress on the reservation issue.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on November 18 said the State government will give quota to Marathas as a “Social and Educationally Backward Class.” The government had accepted the major recommendations of the State Commission for Backward Classes, which submitted a favourable report on the Maratha community’s demand on November 15.