Maharashtra local body polls: After SC stay, concerns over lack of coordination between departments over OBC quota issue

🔴 Earlier this week, the apex court said the 27% OBC quota could not have been implemented without setting up a commission and without collecting data regarding inadequacy of representation in local bodies.

The DC also reviewed the arrangements at other booths by visiting Government High Smart School Dhakoli where five booths have been set up . (Representational)

After the Supreme Court put on hold elections to seats reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the upcoming local body polls in Maharashtra, sources in the state government said there are concerns about a lack of coordination among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ministers and related departments on the issue.

Earlier this week, the apex court said the 27% OBC quota could not have been implemented without setting up a commission and without collecting data regarding inadequacy of representation in local bodies. Subsequently, the State Election Commission deferred elections to the seats reserved for OBCs in the local body polls scheduled for December 21. In all, elections on 386 seats from two Zilla Parishads, 15 Panchayat Samitis, 106 Nagar Panchayats and one municipal corporation have been put on hold.

Subsequently, the state government decided to file an affidavit requesting the Supreme Court to allow polls on the OBC seats or defer all the elections, but passing of the buck has reportedly begun among the MVA alliance partners.

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Rural and urban local bodies come under departments headed by NCP minister Hasan Mushrif and Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde, respectively, while the OBC department is headed by Congress minister Vijay Wadettiwar, which deals with the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes. However, Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP minister and a senior OBC leader, is being seen as following up on the OBC reservation issue, while the Shiv Sena has maintained silence.

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“The reservation issue is with the general administration department (headed by the CM). However, since multiple departments are involved in the OBC quota issue, there is no proper coordination. The issue of lack of coordination was raised by Congress and NCP ministers in the state cabinet meeting earlier this week,” said a cabinet minister requesting anonymity.

The minister further said that the cabinet has now asked Bhujbal and Wadettiwar to follow up on the legal issues concerning OBC reservation.

A source said that the government also did not set up a cabinet sub-committee, as it had done in the case of Maratha reservation and for reservation in promotion. “The committee could have ensured coordination among all the departments and on all issues related to OBC reservation,” said the source.

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Another minister said that differences among MVA allies on the issue have affected the cause of OBC reservation. “Funds are not being released to the Backward Class Commission for collecting empirical data,” said the minister, claiming that the NCP-led finance department has not been reciprocating.

Hari Narke, a former member of the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes, said, “The stay by the SC is one of the expected outcomes as all possibilities were considered while promulgating an ordinance. Now, the CM should pay attention to ensure proper coordination between the OBC department, rural development department and urban development department and give justice to the OBC community.”

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