'Marathas could have got quota had NCP not withdrawn support to UPA govt'

Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has claimed the Maratha community would have got the assured reservation had the Nationalist Congress Party not withdrawn its support to the UPA government headed by him ahead of 2014 assembly pollsSenior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare now a member of the Ajit Pawar camp hit back at Chavan and questioned his intention behind blaming the party founded by Sharad Pawar over the reservation issueWithout naming Pawar Tatkare said the decision to withdraw the support of the Chavanled government was taken after a discussion with the top leader of the partyHad the NCP not withdrawn the support to my government ahead of the 2014 assembly elections we would have contested the elections jointly and come back to power We could have contested the case challenging our reservation plan in the Bombay High Court and ensured that our decision would be upheld in the court Chavan told reporters in PuneA decisive position had been taken for the Maratha reservation for the first time in 50 years when I headed the state he saidMeanwhile Chavan said he had to pay a heavy political price for taking strict decisions regarding the cooperative sector and recalled how the board of directors of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank was dissolved by RBI when he was the chief ministerThe cooperative societies in the state are known for the undisciplined work culture PostHarshad Mehta scam I studied the cooperation sector When I became chief minister in November 2010 I took some strict decisions in the cooperation sector The Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank was put under an administrator and its board was removed I paid a very heavy price politically for those decisions he saidIn Maharashtra the cooperative sector is considered as the stronghold of NCP and the MSCB decision was then viewed as a personal setback for Sharad PawarThe Nationalist Congress Party withdrew its support to the Congressled government in September 2014 almost a month before the assembly elections following which Presidents rule was imposed in MaharashtraReacting sharply to Chavans claims Tatkare said I was a part of the state Cabinet during 200914 when a committee was formed under Narayan Rane The Maratha reservation was given based on the Rane committees report which the Bombay High Court struck down I cannot understand the intention of a senior leader like Chavan to blame the NCPHe alleged Congress ended up in the fourth position in Maharashtra because of ChavanThe decision to withdraw the support of the Chavanled government was taken by discussing it with the top leader of the party at that time Tatkar saidAnother NCP leader Praful Patel who also belongs to the Ajit Pawar camp said Chavan could become MLA because of the support extended by the NCPWhy is he still working with the NCP which is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi along with Congress if he has problems with the party I do not wish to be part of this mudslinging anymore he saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever