This is an archive article published on December 7, 2021
First test Dec 21, as MVA finds itself in a quandary over OBC quota
🔴 There was a view in the MVA that the polls be deferred to avoid OBC ire, but the State Election Commission Tuesday announced the elections barring the 411 seats reserved for OBCs.
While there is no recent data available on the total population of OBCs in Maharashtra, the Mandal Commission, based on the 1931 Census regarding which caste numbers were last counted, put their number at around 52% of Maharashtra’s population.
The immediate bearing will be felt in elections for 105 Nagar Panchayats in 32 districts and two zilla parishads, to be held on December 21.
There was a view in the MVA that the polls be deferred to avoid OBC ire, but the State Election Commission Tuesday announced the elections barring the 411 seats reserved for OBCs.
In Maharashtra, the OBCs are a disparate block of over 400 castes, and the BJP has been making inroads through leaders like Gopinath Munde. The party is believed to have swept the OBC vote in the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly elections. However, the Devendra Fadnavis government had alienated the other OBC groups with its decision in 2018 to grant 16% reservation in education and government jobs to the Marathas.
The MVA parties, which have been trying to woo back the OBCs, are trying to pass the buck to the Centre on the quota. Senior NCP leader and the OBC face of the party Chhagan Bhujbal, who is leading its campaign to woo OBCs, Tuesday said the Centre needs to be proactive in ensuring the reservation. “We have already urged the Supreme Court to direct the Centre to furnish the OBC data based on the 2011 Census, which is with the Centre,” Bhujbal said.
NCP MP Supriya Sule demanded that the Centre bring in a legislation to ensure reservation for OBCs. She tweeted, “Given that the Winter Session of the Parliament is going on, we demand that the Union Government brings legislation which must be debated during this session.”
The BJP, in turn, has accused the MVA government of not doing the work that was needed to ensure the Supreme Court cleared the quota. In a statement, Fadnavis said the court had noted that “it was inappropriate for the ordinance to be issued without the State Backward Classes Commission studying the situation in the urban local bodies and submitting its report”.
In its order on Monday, the Supreme Court said Maharashtra had failed to conduct an empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of backwardness qua local bodies, or to specify the proportion of reservation required to ensure that the total does not exceed 50%.
Maharashtra has so far not been able to provide contemporaneous empirical date to prove the nature and implications of backwardness of the OBCs, nine months after it set up a panel to collect this data.
Difficult as it may be to ensure reservation for the relatively better-off and politically powerful group, the OBC quota demand has been difficult to ignore for most political parties in the state.
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It was back in 1994 that the Maharashtra government first reserved 27% seats for OBCs in local bodies, including all urban (municipal corporations, councils and nagar panchayats) and rural (zilla parishad, panchayat samiti and gram panchayat). In March this year, the Supreme Court struck this down, saying reservation for OBCs was only statutory unlike the constitutionally provided quota for SC/STs, and that the total quota should not exceed the 50% ceiling.
In September, the MVA government promulgated an ordinance to amend the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, and Maharashtra Village Panchayat Act for Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayats, and provide OBC quota apart from reservations for SC/STs, within the 50% ceiling.
Zeeshan Shaikh is the Associate Editor who heads The Indian Express' Mumbai reporting team. He is recognized for his highly specialized Expertise in analyzing the complex dynamics of Maharashtra politics and critical minority issues, providing in-depth, nuanced, and Trustworthy reports.
Expertise
Senior Editorial Role: As an Associate Editor leading the Mumbai reporting team, Zeeshan Shaikh holds a position of significant Authority and journalistic responsibility at a leading national newspaper.
Core Specialization: His reporting focuses intensely on two interconnected, high-impact areas:
Maharashtra Politics & Urban Power Structures: Provides deep-dive analyses into political strategies, municipal elections (e.g., BMC polls), the history of alliances (e.g., Shiv Sena's shifting partners), and the changing demographics that influence civic power in Mumbai.
Minority Issues and Socio-Political Trends: Excels in coverage of the Muslim community's representation in power, demographic shifts, socio-economic challenges, and the historical context of sensitive political and cultural issues (e.g., the 'Vande Mataram' debate's roots in the BMC).
Investigative Depth: His articles frequently delve into the historical roots and contemporary consequences of major events, ranging from the rise of extremist groups in specific villages (e.g., Borivali-Padgha) to the long-term collapse of established political parties (e.g., Congress in Mumbai).
Trustworthiness & Credibility
Data-Driven Analysis: Zeeshan's work often incorporates empirical data, such as National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics on arrests and convictions of minorities, or data on asset growth of politicians, grounding his reports in factual evidence.
Focus on Hinterland Issues: While based in Mumbai, he maintains a wide lens, covering issues affecting the state's hinterlands, including water crises, infrastructure delays, and the plight of marginalized communities (e.g., manual scavengers).
Institutional Affiliation: His senior position at The Indian Express—a publication known for its tradition of rigorous political and investigative journalism—underscores the high level of editorial vetting and Trustworthiness of his reports.
He tweets @zeeshansahafi ... Read More
