Hours after the Supreme Court asked the Maharashtra State Election Commission to go ahead with holding elections to 92 nagar parishads and 4 nagar panchayats, the ruling and opposition parties argued that the elections should not be held till the OBC seats are reserved. BJP and NCP in separate statements recalled that the apex court had recently accepted the Banthia Commission’s report and allowed 27% reservation for OBCs in the nagar panchayat, nagar parishad and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
The Samata Parishad founder and veteran NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal demanded that the elections to the urban and rural local bodies should not be held without OBC quota. ‘’The Samata Parishad will file a review petition against the SC’s order given today,’’ he said.
Bhujbal said the Samata Parishad and NCP have been of the consistent view that the local body elections should be held only with the OBC quota. He further added that as per the Banthia Commission report the OBC will get the reservation but it will be low or nil in some districts. ‘’However, today’s order asking SEC to hold elections to 92 nagar parishads and 4 nagar panchayats is quite surprising,’’ he noted.
On the other hand, state BJP leader and former minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that the apex court had given justice to the OBCs allowing quota in local bodies. ‘’Already DCM Devendra Fadnavis has said that the state government will file a review petition against today’s order. BJP hopes that the elections to the 92 nagar parishads and 4 nagar panchayats will take place with OBC quota,’’ he added.
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