In a significant development, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously passed table two bills to delay the civic and local body elections till OBC reservation is restored in the state.
The assembly passed bills to amend the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act 1959, the Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act, 1961 and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act and Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965 proposing powers to the state government for delimitation of wards and fix the number of members in these bodies.
As per these bills, the State Election Commission (SEC) will decide the poll schedule for local and civic body elections in consultation with the state government. Further, the amendments have also proposed cancellation of the delimitation process and fixing of wards of the civic and local bodies by the State Election Commission (SEC). These bills are framed on the lines of Madhya Pradesh Act.
The state government moved these bills days after the Supreme Court rejected the interim report prepared by the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission recommending the restoration of 27% political reservation to the OBC community.
The government’s move is also important when the elections to 15 municipal corporations including Mumbai, 25 zilla parishads and 232 municipal councils are due in the current year.
It is also crucial when the ruling and opposition parties have said that there won’t be elections without OBC reservation. This is not to deprive OBC community from its participation in the election process.
The state government’s move is also important as none of the parties can afford to have elections without OBC reservation as it may prove politically costlier to them.
