Rashtriya Samaj Party president Mahadev Jankar on Monday said that Shahu Maharaj gave the reservation in the country to the Marathas, however, they said that they don't want reservation later. He also added that Shivaji Maharaj was an OBC.
As per the report by ABP Maza, Jankar was speaking at a protest organised by OBC organisations in Parbhani's Gangakhed.
"Shahu Maharaj gave the first reservation in the country, it was for Marathas. The Marathas did not have the reservation before that. Why did the reservation of the Marathas go after that? Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was also an OBC. Marathas said that they don't want reservations and see what happened today," Jankar was quoted as saying.
In a twist to the ongoing legal battle for the OBC quota in local bodies, a day after the Apex Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to hold elections in 106 nagar panchayats, Bhandara and Gondia zilla parishads and panchayat samitis under their jurisdiction, the polling will take place as per schedule on December 21. But the counting of votes will take place on January 19, 2022 instead of December 22, 2021.
The SEC released a fresh notification on Friday, wherein OBC seats in these local bodies will be de-reserved, as they will become open/general seats of which 50% will be reserved for women. The defunct citizens of local bodies will now go to the polls on January 18, 2022 to fill the seats of the backward class by making them unreserved.
SEC sources told the Free Press Journal earlier on Thursday, '‘The polling will take place for 82 seats in Bhandara and Gondia Zilla Parishads, 165 seats of 15 Panchayat Samitis under their jurisdiction and 1458 seats in 106 Nagar Panchayats on December 21. There was no stay on that. Even though the Supreme Court has given SEC a week’s time, a notification will be issued on Friday for the poll schedule for OBC seats which will now be de-reserved in these local bodies. As per the various legislations, including the Gram Panchayat Act, the Zilla Parishad Act and the Municipal Corporation Act and Articles 243 (A) and 243 (ZA), SEC enjoys powers to reserve 50% seats for women.’’
