Maharashtra: To ensure polls held with OBC reservation, 2 bills to be introduced in state legislature

The government’s move comes a day after the SC rejected MSCBC’s interim report recommending up to 27 per cent OBC quota in local bodies.

Sources said that two bills for rural and urban local bodies, proposing amendments to five laws, would be tabled in the state legislature on Monday. The amendments would give powers to the government on delimitation of ward boundaries and fixing the number of members of local bodies, sources added.

“With these two bills, the state government will have the powers to carry out delimitation of ward boundaries like the Madhya Pradesh government. Though the government will get these powers, the State Election Commission (SEC) will conduct the election,” NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujhbal told mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting. He added that the Opposition is positive on the bills and is ready to support the government on the issue.

Sources in the government said that the SEC, at present, carries out delimitation exercise of Maharashtra. “The government is not encroaching on the powers of the SEC but enforcing the law on the lines of the MP government. The SEC will conduct the local bodies election,” said a source.

The Cabinet has also decided to set up a dedicated commission headed by Jayant Banthia, former state chief secretary who also served as Census commissioner for 10 years. The commission will collect empirical data for providing OBC quota in local bodies.

The commission will also have members such as former IAS officers Mahesh Zagade and Chandrakant Dalvi and an expert from the Tata Consultancy Services and from the Indian Institute of Technology.

The government’s move of setting up a dedicated commission comes a day after the SC raised questions on the interim report submitted by the MSCBC, which has been accorded the status of the dedicated commission for OBC quota.

Sources said the MSCBC, which kept on asking for funds from the government, didn’t prepare the interim report properly and wasted an opportunity given by the SC to restore OBC quota in local bodies. “Questions are also being raised that MSCBC is not a dedicated commission for OBC quota. It will continue to do the general work as per law while the Banthia-led dedicated commission will only work on OBC quota,” said a senior minister.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the government is firm that elections should not be held without the OBC quota. Pawar in the Legislative Council said that the government would bring bills on Monday on lines of the Madhya Pradesh government.

Bhujbal, speaking in the Assembly, said that politics of mudslinging shouldn’t be played and ruling and Opposition parties should work together to ensure OBC quota in local bodies.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, said that though the government shows the intent for ensuring OBC quota, what happens next is more important. “Political activists shouldn’t be appointed to the OBC commission. The government should consider bringing a law on the lines of the MP government,” he added.