BMC Elections 2022: Bills in the Maha legislature have been enacted to postpone civic and local body elections until the OBC Quota is reinstated

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly jointly cleared two legislation on Monday to postpone civic and local body elections until OBC reservation is re-established in the state, which is a major development. The assembly enacted legislation amending the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act 1959, the Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act, 1961, and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, and Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats, and Industrial Townships Act, 1965, giving the state government powers to demarcate wards and set the number of members in these bodies.

 

The State Election Commission (SEC), in conjunction with the state government, will determine the poll timetable for local and Municipal Body Elections under these bills. Furthermore, the amendments recommend that the State Election Commission annual the delimitation process and set wards for civic and local authorities. These bills are modelled after the Madhya Pradesh Act. The state administration introduced these measures just days after the Supreme Court dismissed the interim report made by the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission, which recommended that the OBC community be restored to 27 percent political reservation.

 

The government's action is particularly significant because elections to 15 Municipal Corporations, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections 2022, 25 Zilla Parishads, and 232 Municipal Councils are scheduled for this year. It's particularly important because both the ruling and opposition parties have stated that elections will not be held without OBC  reservation. This is not to say that the OBC group should be excluded from the election process. The move by the state government is also significant since no party can afford to hold elections without the OBC reservation because it would be politically costly for them.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @PRSLegislative