Pawar backs rise in quota cap

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, on Monday, expressed full support to hiking the 50% reservation ceiling and called upon the Centre as well as the Maharashtra government to resolve the vexed Maratha quota issue.

• NCP (SP) chief urges CM to call an all-party meeting

He also urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to convene an all-party meeting. The sticky issue of reservation, according to observers, may decide the results of the upcoming assembly polls.

Pawar said, "The judiciary has put a 50% ceiling on reservation in the country, but all parties in Maharashtra should come together and urge the Centre, which has the power to change the limits. If that is done, we will support it fully."

His response came after a delegation led by Maratha Kranti Thok Morcha leader Ramesh Kere Patil called upon him at his residence in Pune and submitted a memorandum of demands.