The Nationalist Congress Party has sought to revive the son-of-the-soil politics ahead of the assembly polls, saying it will provide 75% job reservation to locals in government and private sectors in Maharashtra if voted to power.
The state is expected to go to polls in October.
The grand promise by former deputy chief minister and NCP legislative party leader Ajit Pawar on Friday comes at a time when the party is facing large-scale defection of its members to the ruling combine of the BJP and Shiv Sena.
"Unemployment is rising fast in the state, and there are few opportunities for locals. Therefore, NCP after coming to power will reserve 75% jobs in the government and private sectors for the sons of the soil," Pawar told DNA.
Party's state president and former finance minister Jayant Patil said they will include the job quota in their assembly poll manifesto. "It will be our major election plank," he said.
However, insiders offer a different narrative. The local job quota is NCP's serious attempt to divert media focus and avoid bad publicity against the backdrop of the mass exodus, said party sources.
OPINION |
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| ‘Pvt firms need best talent’ |
| The populist politics, which only focuses on retaining power, is gripping the country. A 75% reservation in jobs for locals in the private sector, as announced by Andhra Pradesh, does not take into account the specialist skills required in technical industries. Such actions, whether in AP or in Maharashtra or any other state, will force industries to look for a better environment to flourish. Reservation for locals can surely be made in the public sector, but not in the private sector which has to get the best talent to compete within the country as well as globally. —Arvind Pradhan, former DG, Indian Merchants Chamber |
In one of its high-profile departures, NCP's Mumbai unit chief and Worli legislator Sachin Ahir, switched side to Sena on Thursday, paving the way for Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray's candidature from the constituency.
NCP insiders also termed the son-of-the-soil agenda a well-calculated move to regain vote bank and reach out to youth and first-time voters who chose the BJP and Sena in the Lok Sabha elections.
This local quota will help the NCP counter BJP's claim of providing 13% reservation in jobs and 12% in education to the Maratha community under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class category.
The NCP's announcement came three days after the Andhra Pradesh government made it mandatory for existing and upcoming industries in the state to reserve 75% jobs for locals.
Earlier on July 9, the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh had declared that it was mulling 70% job reservation in the private sector for locals in the state.