Don’t hold local bodies elections till OBC reservation is restored: NCP

Incidentally, the NCP’s stand on OBC reservation is identical to that taken by the Opposition BJP.

Earlier this week, after an all-party meeting, BJP Opposition leader in the state Assembly Devendra Fadnavis had said, “We demand all local body elections be on hold till OBC reservation is restored in Maharashtra.”

The BJP had also said that if the Maha Vikas Aghadi government were to announce local body elections, it would field all OBC candidates.

In May 2021, OBC reservation in local body polls was struck down by the Supreme Court; it said it exceeded 50 per cent quota ceiling norms.

In its order, the apex court asked the state government to comply with the three conditions — setting up a dedicated commission for empirical data of OBCs, specifying the proportion of reservation should not exceed 50 per cent ceiling, before notifying the seats reserved for the OBC category. It had also stated that such reservation, in any case, shall not exceed the aggregate of 50 per cent of the total seats reserved in favour of SCs, STs and OBCs taken together. The government had filed a review petition in the SC but it was rejected by the apex court.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had convened a meeting with all political party leaders last week to find a way forward to restore OBC reservation. The government is likely to hold another meeting soon.