NCP (Sharad Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday stated that the caste census would pave the way for increasing the current reservation cap, a key electoral promise as Maharashtra approaches its state assembly polls on November 20.
Speaking at Nagpur airport before heading to campaign events, Pawar underscored the importance of a caste-based census to address reservation policy comprehensively. "Our party has been advocating for a caste census for the last three years. It’s essential as it would reveal the true demographic data necessary for policy decisions," he said.
Pawar emphasised that a completed census would help evaluate the feasibility of raising the 50% reservation cap, aligning with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent assertion that such a move is imminent. "If what Rahul Gandhi is proposing materializes, the reservation percentage will need to be revised,” Pawar added, reinforcing the MVA’s support for the measure.
Rahul Gandhi, during a visit to Nagpur on Wednesday, had promised that his party would “break the wall of 50 per cent” reservation limit and conduct a nationwide caste census if given the mandate.
The opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the NCP (SP), Congress, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), is positioning itself as a force for change ahead of the elections. “We feel that the people of Maharashtra want a change and we need to work towards giving them confidence. From today, my colleagues and I are reaching out across the state,” Pawar noted.
Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray released his party’s manifesto, which promised free education for male students, stabilising prices of essential items, and scrapping the controversial Dharavi redevelopment project. Thackeray highlighted that most of the promises reflect the broader MVA agenda, with specific measures tailored to Mumbai’s rapid urbanisation, including a housing policy and opposition to cluster developments affecting Koliwadas and Gaothans. Thackeray also pledged to focus on job creation, reinforcing MVA’s campaign theme of prioritizing public welfare and sustainable development.