The Supreme Court has permitted 27% OBC reservation in Maharashtra municipal body elections. All elections will be based on the new ward structure. The government must issue a notification within four weeks.
Maharashtra OBC: The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a landmark verdict on the long-standing dispute regarding municipal body elections in Maharashtra. Now, a 27% OBC reservation will be applicable in all municipal body elections in the state. Along with this, the court has clarified that the elections will be conducted only according to the new division structure (ward division). This decision will be applicable to all municipal corporations and local bodies in the state, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nagpur.
What was the matter?
Municipal body elections in Maharashtra have been pending for some time. The main reason for this was legal disputes over two issues—first, OBC reservation, and second, the new ward structure. Several petitioners had challenged the new division structure in the Supreme Court and also raised objections regarding OBC reservation. This matter is now clear after a lengthy hearing in court.
What did the Supreme Court say?
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Suryakant and other judges, clarified on Monday that:
- A 27% OBC reservation will be applicable in all municipal body elections in Maharashtra.
- Elections will be conducted according to the new ward structure (division structure).
- All petitions challenging the new division structure have been dismissed.
Timeline set for the election process
The court has also directed the Maharashtra state government to start the election process as soon as possible. Under this:
- The state government must issue the election notification within 4 weeks.
- The election process should be completed within 4 months.
- With the implementation of this order, the path for all municipal body elections in Maharashtra has now been cleared.
Path cleared for BMC elections
Elections are to be held in all 27 municipal corporations and more than 300 municipal councils in the state, including the 227 wards of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This decision will be applicable to all of them. The BMC election is also important because it is the largest and most prosperous local body in the country.
OBC community will get political representation
From 1994 to 2022, OBCs in Maharashtra have been getting political reservation in local bodies. However, in the year 2022, the Supreme Court had declared this reservation unconstitutional and stayed it when the state government failed to comply with the triple test procedure. Now, based on the new report and data, the Supreme Court has again recognized the 27% reservation. This will give political representation to the OBC community of the state at the local level.
Why was the new ward structure necessary?
In municipal body elections, wards are reorganized every few years for transparency and effective representation. The number and boundaries of wards are redetermined based on population growth, population density, and geographical expansion. This process had been completed in Maharashtra but could not be implemented due to legal challenges. Now the Supreme Court has recognized it.
