Supreme Court Allows 27% OBC Reservation in All Maharashtra Civic Bodies, Elections to Be Held Within 4 Months
New Delhi/Mumbai(The Uttam Hindu): In a significant decision on Monday, the Supreme Court of India ruled that 27% OBC reservation will remain applicable in all municipal body elections in Maharashtra. The court also upheld the validity of the new ward delimitation carried out by the state government. With this judgment, the path has now been cleared for the long-pending municipal elections in cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur, and others across the state.
Municipal elections had been stalled in Maharashtra due to ongoing legal challenges over ward restructuring and the implementation of OBC reservation. Several petitioners had approached the Supreme Court, questioning the legality of the new ward delimitation. However, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant dismissed all such petitions and upheld the state government’s decisions as lawful.
The court has ordered that elections must now be conducted based on the new ward structure, and the OBC reservation must be implemented. It also directed the Maharashtra government to issue the election notification within four weeks and complete the entire election process within four months. This verdict applies to all municipal corporations and local bodies across the state, including the 227 wards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
It’s worth noting that from 1994 to 2022, OBC reservation was in effect in local bodies in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court’s latest decision effectively reinstates this framework and is seen as a major political win for the OBC community, reaffirming their right to representation.