UP to consider wider population base for quota

LUCKNOW: The way reservation for the posts of mayors and chairpersons is accorded in the state is likely to be changed with the implementation of the recommendations of the dedicated backward classes commission which was formed to look into the issue of OBC quota in urban local body elections.
To implement the recommendations of the commission, the state government has decided to bring in an ordinance to make immediate legislative changes to the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act and the UP Municipalities Act. While the maximum reservation limit will be fixed at 50%, and that being offered to the OBCs at 27%, the urban development department will take the wider population base into account.
Currently, the reservation for the posts of mayors and chairpersons is decided as per rotation process and cyclical order for reserving posts of chairpersons for SC/ST, backward classes and women. In the upcoming elections, the state will consider local dynamics before finalising reservation for elected heads of 763 local bodies.
"Let us take the example of 200 nagar palikas. In December last year, when reservation was announced before the constitution of the commission, 54 seats were set aside for OBC candidates. However, the reservation for the positions was decided according to the rotation process followed in 2012 and 2017 elections," an official said.
"However, the commission has proposed that from now on, the population of the state needs to be divided into 18 revenue divisions for deciding reservation for 200 nagar palikas. This will help in providing wider representation to respective communities. In divisions where the OBC population is on the higher side, more positions for chairpersons will be accorded to the community," he added. "The status of 17 mayoral positions will be decided by the state government while the decision on the posts of chairpersons of 546 nagar panchayats will be taken after studying district-level caste dynamics. Reservation for various municipal wards within ULBs will be offered as per the existing provisions," the official said.
In December last year, the Allahabad high court had directed the state government to go ahead with the elections without offering reservation to OBCs as the triple-test formula was not adhered to by the state. Later, the state government challenged the decision before the Supreme Court and constituted a dedicated commission on December 28, 2022 to provide empirical data on the backward community.
Urban development minister AK Sharma said, "The recommendations of the commission have been studied and approved for further implementation. Through the ordinance, amendments in the two acts will be required after which a fresh reservation list will be released."