Maharashtra to ask SC to postpone local body elections

OBC leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal has gone to Delhi to prepare the court case in consultation with senior lawyers

The MVA government is all set to ask the Supreme Court to postpone the local body elections, after the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) stayed polls to Other Backward Classes (OBC) seats. It will seek more time to collect empirical data for supporting the quantum of the quota to be given as per the population of the beneficiary class in each district.

The Cabinet, during a meeting on Wednesday, discussed ways for relief from a political crisis the state has landed in following the SC's order. The polls are scheduled on December 21. Months after an order of the SC in March, the state restored the OBC political quota through an ordinance, but the court stalled it citing the lack of empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness, which was mandated.

Rural development secretary Rajesh Kumar told the Cabinet that contrary to the popular perception, the ordinance wasn't stayed, but only the quota held up for the want of empirical data.

According to an attendee of the Cabinet meeting, the state will file an affidavit in addition to the plea it has submitted in the SC, seeking to either postpone the elections or hold them with the provision of OBC quota. The hearing is posted for December 13, and OBC leader and state Cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal has left for Delhi to prepare the case in consultation with senior lawyers.

"We will ask for more time for the OBC candidates to submit caste certificates for verification. And we will pray for allowing 8-9 months to collect the empirical data, because the backward class commission will need more time during the pandemic. Even the Centre hasn't been able to do the latest census exercise because of the pandemic," said the attendee.