The Supreme Court accepted the report of the Backward Classes Welfare Commission.
In a big relief for the Madhya Pradesh government, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local body elections.
"It's a historic day. It has been proven again that truth can't lose. I thank the Supreme COurt. We had said we want polls but with OBC reservation. Congress had sinned and had gone to Supreme Court due to which it was earlier directed that polls would be held without OBC reservation," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said.
Accepting the report of the Backward Classes Welfare Commission, the Supreme Court asked the State Election Commission to announce elections within a week.
The Backward Classes Welfare Commission had presented its report, in which it had said that the "triple test" had been followed.
The Madhya Pradesh government had filed an amendment application, requesting changes to the May 10 order of the Supreme Court, which had not cleared OBC reservation in local elections.
Local body polls in Madhya Pradesh have been due for over two years, and more than 23,000 local body seats are currently vacant.
