SC order not a setback, local body polls likely in Sept-Oct with OBC reservation, says govt

On Wednesday, the SC, while hearing a petition on OBC reservation in the local bodies, said that the SEC must proceed with the election of the local bodies, which was due since the expiry of the five-year term, and it should notify the programme within two weeks.

Government sources said the apex court order has ensured holding of the local bodies polls in September-October. “Today’s order is not a setback to the government but has ensured that the elections are held in September-October. In a way, it is a big relief to the government for ensuring that the elections are held with the OBC quota,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

The official explained that the apex court has asked the SEC to announce the election programme which comprises four parts — ward boundaries, reservation, electoral roll, and announcing the code of conduct. “So far, the SEC had asked the 15 municipal corporations to prepare the draft ward boundaries and had given them a go-ahead for putting it in public domain for seeking suggestions and objections. It means these corporations are in the first phase of the election programme,” added the official.

The official added that with respect of other local bodies, such as municipal councils, zilla parishads, and panchayat samitis, no process has been initiated so far. “The ward boundaries, reservation and electoral roll may take at least three months to complete the first three parts of the programme. Then, we can announce the code of conduct.  So, in any case, elections to these local bodies are likely to be held in September-October,” explained the official.

In March, the state government set up a six-member commission headed by former chief secretary Jayant Kumar Banthia to prepare a report on the political backwardness of the OBCs in the state to provide them reservation in the local bodies. Government sources said the commission is expected to submit its report by the end of May or in the first half of June.

If the report comes by then, they said, it would be tabled before the Cabinet and would also be submitted before the SC. “Of the triple tests set by SC, only empirical data is yet to be fulfilled, which will happen with the report. So, it will ensure the OBC quota in the local bodies,” said a source.

In its order on March 4 last year, the Supreme Court, while reading down the OBC reservation in local bodies, asked the state government to comply with triple conditions — setting up a dedicated commission for collecting empirical data on the OBC population, specifying the proportion of reservation, and ensuring that the cumulative share of reserved seats doesn’t breach 50 per cent of total seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, however, charged the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for its failure to restore the 27 per cent reservation in local bodies in Maharashtra.

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said, “In the past two years, the MVA government just indulged in passing time. They are responsible for denying OBCs their reservation  rights in local body polls.”