While the Supreme Court will on May 17 hear the SEC’s plea for holding local body polls post monsoon, a dedicated OBC commission headed by the state’s former chief secretary, Jayant Banthia, has announced its whirlwind schedule of public hearings to be held across the state. These are to collate empirical data to be presented before the SC to get the OBCs’ political reservation in the local body elections restored. 

The commission’s quick filing of the report is important to the state’s efforts for quota restoration, because the apex court has directed the state election commission (SEC) to hold elections pending its decision on quota. However, the SEC has submitted to the court that conducting polls during the rainy season would be difficult because of logistical, manpower and administrative issues. The court will decide on the plea on May 17, the day poll-going municipal corporations, including Mumbai, and municipal councils will publish their final ward boundaries. A decision in favour of the SEC would push the elections to September and October, and also give the state breathing period to present its case in the SC.