The governing BJP and the opposition Congress stated that in the upcoming local body elections in Madhya Pradesh, they would field 27% of candidates from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
The declarations came after the Supreme Court ordered the authorities to inform the public of the poll timetable within two weeks, with no reservations for OBCs.
While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that a review case against the verdict would be filed in the Supreme Court, Congress has accused the BJP of denying the OBCs of quotas in elections.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declared that no reservation for the Other Backward Classes might be allowed till the ‘triple test procedure,’ as required in a constitution bench ruling from 2010, is finished.
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On Wednesday, state Congress chief Kamal Nath said that the BJP administration in the state had made no effort in the recent two years to achieve OBC quotas.
“The constitution might have been altered to provide OBCs the advantage of reservation, but they did not, resulting in the Supreme Court ruling. In the next local body elections, Congress has resolved to provide OBCs 27% of the seats, “According to the previous chief minister.
V D Sharma, the state BJP chairman, alleged that Congress leaders petitioned the Supreme Court to block the OBC quota.
“The state’s BJP administration will file a review petition. In the 2019 local body elections, the BJP will run 27 percent or more (OBC) candidates. In the Panchayat elections, more than 27% of OBC candidates would run, “he stated.
Chief Minister Chouhan said he consulted constitutional experts and attorneys to guarantee an OBC quota.
At a news conference, Congress MLAs Sajjan Singh Verma, Kamleshwar Patel, and PC Sharma requested that the Assembly hold a special session to approve a resolution demanding a constitutional change to ensure the OBC quota and send it to the Centre.
The Supreme Court said that the election process could not be postponed because it would void when local bodies’ five-year terms expired. It is the authorities’ constitutional responsibility to conduct elections on time.
Chief Minister Chouhan canceled investment promotion talks in London and New York for next week, citing his presence in the state in light of recent events connected to local body elections.
