Elections may take place in the absence of OBC quota as SC has yet to decide the issue
CM convenes meeting of OBC ministers on Thursday to decide future strategy
BJP slams MVA government for wasting two years in the compilation of empirical data of OBCs
Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi government received a major jolt on Wednesday after the Supreme Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to declare the schedule for local body elections, including the one to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), within two weeks. The apex court has also said that it will decide on the issue pertaining to reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the elections after the polling process takes place.
The SEC had submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, saying that the time required to prepare for the polls would extend to June. But by then, the monsoon would have started and elections are not conducted during this season due to potential logistical challenges.
The EC has clarified that declaration of poll schedule does not mean that elections to 20 municipal corporations and other local bodies will be held immediately.
An SEC official, after reading the SC order, told The Free Press Journal, “The SEC will start the process which came to a standstill after the amendments passed in the state legislature on March 11. In the case of 14 municipal corporations, hearing for the delimitation of wards was completed but it was to be finalised. In the case of six municipal corporations, the process for delimitation of wards has yet to begin.’’
Further, he said, in the case of 210 nagar palikas, the district collectors had invited suggestions and objections and proposals were approved but the delimitation process was yet to be completed.
He also said that in the case of gram panchayats, the draft had been published while the SEC was yet to release a programme for the delimitation for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis. “Thereafter, the SEC will finalise the reservation of seats (for SC and ST excluding OBC). The SEC has already submitted in the apex court that such an in-house exercise will be carried out but conducting polls will not be possible during monsoon season,’’ he noted.
The official said that the SC had given SEC the liberty to approach it in case of problems.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has convened a meeting of OBC ministers, leaders and officers at 1pm on Thursday to discuss strategy in the wake of the SC order.
During the budget session, the legislature had passed two laws giving the state government powers on the delimitation of wards and the fixing of the poll schedule. The government had sought until December to hold the polls but the court has gone ahead and directed the SEC to declare a poll schedule in two weeks.
Wednesday’s order is important as elections to 15 municipal corporations, including the BMC, 210 nagar parishads, 10 nagar panchayats and 1,930 gram panchayats could be declared, without a 27 per cent quota for OBCs. The MVA faces a huge challenge to convince the politically influential OBCs. The state government had argued in the SC that the State Backward Classes Commission had granted clearance for restoring the 27 per cent quota for the OBCs in local bodies across the state and all that was required was a nod from the top court to reserve seats for the OBCs in local body elections.
NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, “The SC judgment and the way forward will be discussed with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.”
However, the leader of the opposition, Devendra Fadnavis (BJP), has blamed the MVA for wasting two years in the compilation of empirical data of the OBCs. State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil accused the MVA of cheating the OBCs. He announced that BJP would give nomination to 27 per cent OBCs and do justice to the community.
