Supreme Court Allows 27 Percent OBC Quota For Local Body Polls

NEW DELHI: In a big win for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, the Supreme Court of India granted political reservation to the community.

On Wednesday, the apex court approved the Banthia Commission report and gave its nod to 27 percent reservation for OBC candidates in local bodies.

The Maharashtra local body election was delayed earlier by the State Election Commission in order to ascertain the judgement of the court on the Banthia commission’s report.

The apex court directed the Election Commission of India and the Maharashtra State Election Commission to prepare and begin the polling process as soon as possible.

As per reports, it has told the State Election Commission to notify the elections to local bodies in the next two weeks.

During a hearing on OBC quota in Maharashtra local body elections case, the Supreme Court has said in no case will elections to local bodies shall be delayed.

The apex court said, “Elections must be held now. Delimitation whatever is required is done. It’s violation of the constitution.”

The SC also said the high court should not proceed on this issue.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, representing the Maharashtra government, told the court that no elections were held in Aurangabad since 2020. The court said individual local body problems can be decided by the Election Commission of India.

The SC reiterated that delimitation described in the May 4 order will apply. On May 4, the apex court had directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) to notify the schedule for local bodies elections within two weeks.

On March 3, the Supreme Court had said it was “not possible” to allow any authority to act upon the recommendation made in the interim report of the state Backward Classes Commission which has said that up to 27 per cent reservation can be granted to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the local bodies in Maharashtra, subject to the condition that the total reservation quota shall not exceed 50 per cent limit.