Only until the Maharashtra Government clears a legal obstacle will the OBC quota be restored in the upcoming Local Body Elections

Even though Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari signed a bill establishing political quotas for OBCs in local bodies below the 50% quota level, it would not be implemented immediately since the Maha Vikas Aghadi government must first clear a key legal hurdle, namely the Supreme Court's approval. The Supreme Court has ordered the state government to submit a report on OBC data from the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission (MSBCC), which will hear the issue on February 8. 

 

"Only the State Election Commission (SEC) will make the seat allocation for OBCs in 15 Municipal Corporations and 24 Zilla Parishad where elections are expected this year if the highest court accepts the MSBCC's interim report based on the OBC data supplied by the state government and allows OBC quota." The state government is convinced that the statistics would be accepted by the Supreme Court, allowing OBC quotas in local governments.

 

This will be a short reprieve because the MSBCC must complete the OBC data compilation effort before submitting it to the Supreme Court." He stated that the ball is in the Supreme Court's court. In the absence of the OBC quota, the SEC recently conducted elections in 106 Nagar Panchayats, Bhandara and Gondia Zilla Parishads, and 15 Nagar Panchayat Samitis under its control, according to the minister.

 

In the meantime, the SEC has instructed local bodies to fulfill relevant formalities, such as requesting recommendations and objections, pending the Supreme Court hearing. "The SEC has broken the relationship between ward delimitation and OBC seat distribution." If the Supreme Court allows OBCs after the next hearing, a draw would be held in the individual districts for OBC seats. The SEC has no choice except to wait and observe until the Supreme Court rules," said a senior SEC official.

 

 

The officer recalled that the SEC had produced a timetable for the recently held local body elections based on an ordinance issued by the state government last year, but that the elections were held without the OBC quota due to an apex court ruling.

 

 

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