On March 4, the Supreme Court directed that the number of seats reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) in local bodies should not exceed 50 per cent of the total seats.
The SC in its order set aside election of candidates under the OBC quota in Maharashtra zila parishads and ordered fresh elections on those seats within two weeks.
The three-bench judge comprising of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Indu Malhotra and Ajay Rastogi struck down the Maharashtra Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis Act that allowed 27 per cent reservation to the OBCs in the Zila Parishad elections.
The court further clarified that OBCs could be given reservation up to 27 per cent, but subject to the limit of 50 per cent total reservation for SCs/STs and OBCs. Apart from that, the court directed the government to comply with some conditions before providing reservation to OBCs in local bodies.
The Supreme Court quashed notifications issued by the Maharashtra Election Commission, which provided more than 50 per cent reservation to OBCs and SC/STs in the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis of Washim, Akola, Nagpur and Bhandara districts.
The judgment was pronounced by Justice Khanwilkar on a petition filed by Vikas Kishanrao Gawli of Washim in July 2019.
Moreover, the SC explained that the ramifications of the judgment are not only for Maharashtra but also for all states with regard to OBC reservation.
Share
Tweet
