NCP sacks Shalinitai Patil over quota row

MUMBAI: The UPA government’s reservation policy for the other backward classes (OBCs) in centrally-run institutes of higher education has claimed an unlikely victim in Maharashtra.

Shalinitai Patil, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator from Koregaon in Satara district, has been expelled from NCP for six years for openly speaking out against the reservation policy.

NCP Maharashtra general secretary Gurunath Kulkarni issued a statement on Monday informing that Ms Patil has been expelled as the party leadership was not satisfied with her explanation for criticising the reservation policy.

Ms Patil is one of the high-profile NCP legislators from Satara district, one of the NCP strongholds. Ms Patil is the wife of the late Vasantdada Patil, one of the most prominent chief ministers Maharashtra has had.

The legislator has been consistent in her criticism of the reservation move and has held several public meetings in her constituency to air her views. Ms Patil has objected to reservation on the basis of caste and demanded affirmative action on the basis of economic criteria.

However, the NCP, one of the constituents of the UPA, has supported the Union government’s reservation policy and also cited a promise of ‘social justice’ given in its election manifesto. Last week, NCP chief Sharad Pawar made it clear that whosoever was in disagreement with the party’s stand was free to go.

Yet, Ms Patil stuck to her guns and did not quit the party, apparently waiting for the NCP leadership to sack her. Had she quit the party, Ms Patil would have had to relinquish her assembly membership as well. But she can retain her membership after being sacked.