Over 650 OBC seats at stake: Maharashtra govt likely to suggest postponing of civic polls

🔴 The demand for postponing the polls has been made by parties like the Congress and the NCP, after the Supreme Court stayed OBC reservation in Maharashtra local body elections.

4 min readPuneDec 8, 2021 03:42 PM IST

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who underwent a surgery last month, is likely to preside over the meeting. (Express file photo)

The Maharashtra cabinet in all likelihood will suggest postponing of elections to 23 municipal corporations in the state during its weekly meeting on Wednesday, said sources. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who underwent a surgery last month, is likely to preside over the meeting.

The demand for postponing the polls has been made by parties like the Congress and the NCP, after the Supreme Court stayed OBC reservation in Maharashtra local body elections.

“Our party has already conveyed to the state government that polls for all municipal corporations be stayed till there is a finality to the OBC quota issue,” state Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said. “The state cabinet may suggest to the State Election Commission (SEC) to postpone civic elections that are slated to be held next year,” he added.

On Tuesday, the SEC stayed elections in seats reserved under the OBC quota. The elections to 344 of the 1,802 nagar panchayat seats and 23 of the 105 seats in Bhandara and Gondial Zillla Parishads, which were to go to the polls on December 21, have been stayed.

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Maharashtra has 27 municipal corporations. Of these, as many as 23 municipal corporations with over 650 OBC seats were slated to go to the polls next year. The process of holding the elections has already been started by the SEC. The civic bodies are also in the process of submitting the draft ward limitation plan to the SEC. The SEC has already announced that each ward will elect three corporators.

Following the Supreme Court order, NCP leader and state Health Minister Rajesh Tope in a letter to the Maharashtra government said, “Till there is a final decision on the OBC quota, all civic elections in the state should be stayed.”

The health minister added that “If we go as per the previously declared election schedule and reservation, it will not be right. Democracy will be in peril. Therefore, a new election schedule should be announced.”

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Echoing similar sentiments, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said, “Not holding elections to OBC seats and conducting the polls for other seats will be inappropriate. Instead, all elections should be stayed till the OBC quota issue is resolved.”

Senior NCP leader Chaggan Bhujbal, who is a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said: “The OBCs comprise 54 per cent of the state population. Not having their representatives in local self-government bodies will be an injustice.”

The Congress suggested that till there is a final outcome to the OBC quota issue in the Supreme Court, all political parties should provide 27 per cent reservation on their own during ticket distribution. “The BJP is playing politics over the issue. Instead of further rubbing salt into the wounds of the OBC community, it should reserve 27 per cent seats for the OBCs while preparing its candidate list and allow them to contest from general wards. All parties should follow a similar pattern and it will ensure justice to the OBC community,” Tiwari said.

NCP MP Supriya Sule said, “The Centre has in its possession the empirical data required for OBC reservation. If a discussion is held in Parliament on this issue, we can get some sort of solution. The government can also come up with ordinances for Maratha, OBC and Dhangar reservations.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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