The Supreme Court has delivered a major verdict on the conduct of local body and municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra. On Monday, the apex court dismissed all petitions challenging the 27% OBC (Other Backward Classes) reservation and the new ward delimitation process, paving the way for elections to be held with OBC quotas.
Petitions had been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to halt the State Election Commission’s process and demanding that elections be conducted as per the 2022 ward structure without OBC reservation. However, during the hearing, the court rejected all such pleas. It clarified that, in line with its order dated May 6, 2024, 27% OBC reservation will remain applicable in local body elections. Furthermore, the court stated that elections will be conducted based on the new ward delimitation, not the old structure of March 11, 2022.
The Supreme Court has directed the State Election Commission to issue election notifications within four weeks and complete the entire electoral process within four months. This ruling comes as a significant relief for the state government and has sparked excitement within the OBC community.
Following the judgment, elections in 29 municipal corporations, 290 municipal councils, 32 district councils, and 335 panchayat samitis are expected to gain momentum. Political analysts anticipate that the official announcement of local body polls could come soon, bringing new political activity to Maharashtra.
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